Crouch, Touch, Bind, Engage
by BabyWard
Summary: A story about rugby and finding love. Inspired by the Rugby World Cup. Bella falls quickly in love with a new sport she discovers called rugby. But what about Edward, the rugby star?
1. Chapter 1

This new story is inspired by the Rugby World Cup.

If you don't know what rugby is, don't worry! Neither does Bella. It will all be explained eventually so stick with it.

I hope you enjoy reading it. Please remember to review.

* * *

"Come on!"

I could hear Dad's shout clearly as soon as I stepped out of my car. I grinned and lifted the bags of groceries from the passenger seat. As I entered the house, the roaring sound from the living room became louder. The groceries were dumped onto the kitchen table and I went to see what Dad was doing.

"Who's winning?" I said as I fell into the chair opposite him.

He muttered something that sounded like a team name and obviously wasn't his beloved Seahawks. I looked at the screen to see for myself and saw the Broncos were winning.

I bit my lip and shook my head. The Seahawks' season had looked promising. They had played well in the first few games and seemed to have managed to shake off some bad habits they had developed in the last few years. But it was early still and one loss wouldn't mean they were doomed to fail again.

I got comfortable against the cushions to watch the rest of the game and groaned loudly, in harmony with Dad's curse, at the next fumble.

Twenty minutes later the game ended and Dad quickly changed the channel in disgust. He settled on a replay of an NBA game and turned to look at me. "I need to support someone else."

I laughed and shook my head. I knew he was only joking. He would never change his alliances. He was born and raised in Seattle and Seattle's teams were his passion. "It was one game, Dad."

He sighed and gave me a smile. "I know."

"What else is on this weekend?" I asked, trying to distract him.

He rattled off a list of games he was planning on watching, mostly involving local teams but also ones between the top teams. I nodded as I tried to keep track of what he was saying. Two more NFL games, an NBA game, three MLB games and an NHL game he had missed because he had been at work when it aired.

"Let me know when the Mariners game is on, I want to watch that one."

He nodded and turned to focus on the basketball. I knew I would see parts of all the games he was planning on watching and anything else he came across between those games. It was hard to avoid sport when you lived with someone so enthusiastic.

I had grown up watching sport. Dad had been obsessed all his life and spent most of his time in front of the screen watching everything; football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, snooker, motorsport, golf, even darts. I knew the rules for every one of these games before I could read and learnt game and player statistics too. My bedroom walls were covered by team posters, many of them signed, all of them Seattle based. While my friends had crushes on singers, movie stars and fictional characters, I was in love with sports stars.

Dad took me to games whenever he could and we would wait in the stands after the games to meet the players and get autographs. I had notebooks full of scribbles made by players and they were prized possessions on my bookshelf. Dad kept scrapbooks for pictures of players and me.

A few years ago, in my senior year of high school, I found myself torn between going to games with Dad or parties with my friends. I disappointed Dad too many times to count by telling him I wanted to go out with my friends rather than to the stadium with him. But those parties weren't as great as I would be anticipating and more often than not I would regret my choice. My friends were fun but we were at the age where all we wanted to do was pair up with someone and make out. To me all the boys were young and stupid. All I was attracted to was the young rookie just recruited by the Seattle Seahawks, or the star point guard for the Seattle Sonics, or the legendary veteran of the Seattle Mariners. Even when the quarterback of my school's team showed interest in me, I could only think about how I could have met some real, professional players if I had gone to the game with Dad.

The game Dad had been watching finished and he got up and went into the kitchen. I heard the grocery bags rustling and cupboards opening and closing as he started putting things away.

Up in my room, I took my phone out of my bag and sat on my bed to check Facebook. I scrolled past updates of the Seahawks and my friends' complaints about the game. There were other posts about other teams I followed but nothing of interest. Two of my friends had updated their relationship status and I wrote a quick sympathy note to the one who had broken up, even though it was the fifth time she had ended the relationship. My uncle and cousins were home from their trip around Europe and I swiped through the first hundred photos in their album before commenting on a couple of the more interesting ones. I scrolled past more sports posts; halftime scores, final scores, man of the match announcements, a player's birthday, next game details, links to buy tickets. I stopped and scrolled back up to what I thought was just pictures of a game but was actually posted by my aunt.

 **Renee Swan** : At the rugby with **Esme Cullen** ready to watch **Edward** beat the Seattle Saracens.

I frowned at the screen as I tapped on the pictures. Renee wasn't as obsessed with sport as Dad, but she, along with the rest of the family, had been born and raised in Seattle so she shouldn't be supporting a team playing against a Seattle team. Luckily Dad didn't use Facebook because he would have been disappointed his closest sister was betraying him and their beloved home town.

I swiped through the photos. The first were wide shots of the stadium. A dark blue team playing a light green team. In some the players were spread across the turf, in others there were players in a heap. Some were of a player running with the rest of them chasing him. It looked like a similar game to football but the players seemed to be more spread across the field. The ones showing players tackling each other I zoomed in on. I was used to seeing contact like that but between players who wore helmets and padding. These men looked like they were just wearing football jerseys and the most head protection they had was tape across their foreheads and ears. Even the shorts were just normal shorts, if a little shorter than usual.

The next pictures were taken after the game. Aunt Renee's friend Esme was in these, hugging players from the blue team and grinning at the camera. Then there were several of Renee hugging, talking to and laughing at just one player.

This must be Edward who was tagged in the post. He had a cut on his forehead and blood was leaking down his eyebrow and around his eye. But he was grinning happily and I could see the twinkle in his eye that players got after a good game. It was obvious he had worked hard on the field: he had smears of dirt everywhere and his hair was damp with sweat. I could also see that it had been a tough game. Not only was he leaking blood, he had a red mark on his chin that was probably going to bruise and I could see angry red lines on his arm that looked like someone's cleats had raked across his skin.

I blushed when I realised I had been looking at the picture for a long time. Long enough to register that Edward was quite good-looking. I closed the Facebook app and checked my emails to distract myself and try to cool my cheeks.

Dad called me down for dinner and I locked my phone. He had made sandwiches for us, a sure sign that he has a game to watch and no time for fancy food.

"What's on tonight?"

"NHL. Rangers playing the Ducks."

I nodded. Two teams high on the league standings would make for a good game.

"Do you want to watch it with me?"

I shook my head. "No thanks. I'm going to have an early night."

Dad nodded. He knew hockey wasn't one of my favourite sports to watch.

I finished my sandwiches and did the dishes while Dad turned on the TV. I could hear the build up before the game and the commentators analysing player statistics and the teams' history. None of it was enticing me, though, so I went straight upstairs and got into bed.

I put my phone on charge and thought about Aunt Renee's pictures. Rugby wasn't a sport I was familiar with although I had heard the name before. Possibly I had heard of it during the sports news or during one of the sports chat shows on ESPN. But I couldn't remember ever seeing a game. I picked up my laptop and searched for rugby videos.

I found a highlights video of a recent game at Soldier Field. The USA Eagles were playing the New Zealand All Blacks. I fast forwarded through the national anthems and a funny dance the All Blacks did before the game to where they started playing. It was different seeing video of the tackles compared to the pictures Aunt Renee had posted. The hits were just as hard as football hits but they kept getting up, running and tackling, again and again despite not wearing any protection. Rugby players must be incredibly tough. At almost three minutes, the All Blacks scored and I watched in amazement as the player threw himself onto the ground, dragging another player along behind him.

There were many things I didn't understand about the game and almost every time the whistle was blown I didn't know why, but I enjoyed watching. I understood enough to see that the All Blacks were the better team and the final score confirmed this. 74-6 to the All Blacks, although how it all added up to those numbers I didn't know.

I checked Facebook again and saw Aunt Renee had posted more photos.

 **Renee Swan** : Fab night at the rugby. So pleased **Edward** and the Portland Barbarians bet my home team the Seattle Saracens.

I hardly noticed her treason, I was so eager to look at the pictures and embarrassed I felt that way.

Aunt Renee was at a restaurant. She was eating a salad and drinking cocktails. I swiped past the food pictures impatiently. Next was a picture of her friend Esme, and Carlisle, her husband. They had their arms around each other and were grinning at the camera.

She had posted several selfies next and I rolled my eyes at the faces she was pulling. Typical, crazy Aunt Renee.

Then there were pictures of Edward. His cut was bandaged with three small strips of tape. He was wearing a shirt and suit jacket. His hair was still a mess but I could see that he had showered and he was clean. The twinkle in his eye was still obvious.

I closed the album and scrolled down my feed to find something else to look at. But a few minutes later I went back to Aunt Renee's post.

Why was she supporting the Seattle team's opposition?

I tapped on Edward's name. The profile picture looked like an official team photo of him in his jersey on a white background. His full name, Edward Cullen, confirmed that he was Esme's son and it also listed his hometown as Seattle. Under work it said Portland Barbarians and I finally put it all together. Aunt Renee was supporting her friend's son who played for the Portland Barbarians, the blue team at the rugby game. I decided to let the betrayal slide.

I put my phone down to pick up my book but didn't start reading. I had too many thoughts crowding my brain.

I had always been attracted to sportsmen but I had never had a chance to get close enough to them. I was only ever been another fan in the stands, and one who was there with her dad to boot. There had been plenty of dreams where I had found a connection to someone and lived happily ever after but there was never any possibility that it would come true. Until now. Maybe I could become friends with Edward, he could introduce me to other players, and one day I might meet someone in the Mariners or the Seahawks or even the Sonics.

I picked up my phone again and scrolled back to the pictures so I could comment.

 **Bella Swan** : Aunty, I didn't know you know someone who lives in Portland! Can you ask him where a good place to stay is? I'm going there in two weeks for a weekend.

I impatiently waited for a reply but didn't get one straight away. Aunt Renee was probably having too much fun to check Facebook every second.

 **Edward Cullen** : You could ask me yourself! What sort of place are you looking for?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the lovely reviews and for reading this. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

* * *

 **Bella Swan** : Aunty, I didn't know you know someone who lives in Portland! Can you ask him where a good place to stay is? I'm going there in two weeks for a weekend.

I impatiently waited for a reply but didn't get one straight away. Aunt Renee was probably having too much fun to check Facebook every second.

 **Edward Cullen** : You could ask me yourself! What sort of place are you looking for?

I gasped when I saw his name. I hadn't expected him to reply, which was stupid of me. He was tagged in the post so he would be notified about every comment posted.

Before I could get over my shock and think about what to say, Aunt Renee replied too.

 **Renee Swan** : Why are you going there?

It was easier to answer her question than his so I replied to her first while I thought about what to say to Edward.

 **Bella Swan** : I have a job interview. Have given up trying to find a job in Seattle.

I didn't want to say anymore than that. Aunt Renee knew that I had graduated and was a qualified teacher. She also knew how many jobs I had applied for in Seattle only to be constantly rejected. I had cried on her shoulder in frustration at being overlooked because I was too young and too inexperienced. What she didn't know was I had started applying for jobs outside of Seattle. I wanted to stay close to my family, though, so I had only tried as far away as Portland. Being three hours away from Dad would be difficult but if that was the only way to get a job, that was what I had to do.

 **Edward Cullen** : What do you do for a job?

I bit my lip and stared at his second reply. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to talk to him, even though it was just typing into Facebook.

I also didn't understand why he was interested. Maybe he was bored having dinner with his parents and their friend.

 **Bella Swan** : I'm a teacher. Could you recommend somewhere cheap but not nasty?

I felt good about finally saying something to him and also that I managed to reply to both questions.

 **Edward Cullen** : If you want luxury go for the Heathman or the Marriott. The Modera and Sixth Avenue Motel are average price and nice. If you're wanting cheap and not guaranteed to be good you could try Econo Lodge or Downtown Value Inn.

 **Bella Swan** : Thank you.

I started Googling the places and noticed they were all in the same area. I chose one of the average priced ones and started to book a room.

Before I could enter my details, my phone buzzed with a text from Aunt Renee. It was just some numbers which looked like a phone number.

 **What is this?** I replied to her.

 **Edward's phone number. Just in case you need it when you're in Portland. xR**

I rolled my eyes. Aunt Renee didn't often think about others and how they would feel about her sharing private information. **You can't just give out phone numbers! Did you ask permission? What if he doesn't want me to have it?**

She didn't reply immediately so I went back to booking the hotel. Then I checked Facebook and there was a notification that Aunt Renee had commented again.

 **Renee Swan** : **Bella** , I'm not happy about you travelling alone, so far from home and your family. **Edward** , can I give her your number?

I rolled my eyes at her cheekiness. The comment was made well after she had already sent the number to me.

I chewed on my lip nervously as I waited to see what would happen. It took a while for any replies and I began wondering if he was too polite to say no. Maybe he was chastising Aunt Renee about asking publicly when she could have just asked him across the table.

 **Edward Cullen** : Sure. Let me message it to you.

A few seconds later a friend request appeared with a message. I clicked accept instantly and saw the same combination of numbers in the message that Aunt Renee had sent.

I saved his number into my contacts and replied to his message. 'Thank you. I'm sure I won't need to use your number.'

It only took him a few seconds to message back. 'Don't hesitate if you do. I'm happy to help.'

I smiled widely as I read his words. He was a nice guy to offer his help to someone he had never met. Maybe we could become friends if I could summon up the courage to visit him while I was in Portland.

I didn't reply and a few minutes later Aunt Renee posted another comment on the Facebook pictures.

 **Renee Swan** : How long will you be in Portland? Do you need to know anything else? Restaurants? Entertainment? You should do something fun on Saturday night.

I hadn't thought that far ahead. All I knew was I had an interview on the Saturday morning so I was driving down on Friday night. Because it was so far to go, I had decided to stay until Sunday too. I guess I should probably know where I could get food but surely that wouldn't be too hard. There were fast food places everywhere. As for fun, until this conversation I didn't know anyone in Portland and I didn't think one conversation with Edward would make us friends enough for him to want to see me, let alone entertain me.

 **Bella Swan** : I don't know. I'm sure I can find something to do.

My comment posted just a second before Edward's.

 **Edward Cullen** : We have a game on Saturday night. You could come watch?

I read his comment several times in shock. I couldn't believe he was suggesting something I could do, and watching him play rugby no less. What a friendly guy.

The thought of going to his game made me nervous. Not only would I be meeting Edward for the first time, but there was the possibility of other sports people. Maybe footballers who liked to watch rugby too. Maybe I could meet someone famous. For the first time I could have conversations with professional sportsmen without the awkwardness of my dad standing next to me.

 **Bella Swan** : Maybe. I don't know much about rugby. I will let you know.

I rolled my eyes at myself. My brain was fizzing with possibilities and nervous anticipation but I couldn't even say yes, please.

I waited for several minutes but there were no replies. I should have realised that my comment sounded like a brush-off and nothing more would be said.

I had one last look, through all the pictures Aunt Renee had posted. I studied the wide shots to see if I could find Edward in them. The picture of him hugging Esme made me smile. He was happy to see his mom and not embarrassed to show affection. I looked at the picture of him with his arm around Aunt Renee again. Compared to her he was very big, almost two feet taller, wide shoulders, arms bulging with muscle. I found a picture I hadn't noticed before. Esme was hugging a tall player with long blonde hair. Edward was standing behind them, grinning and staring into the camera. I shivered as if his eyes were studying me.

I forced myself to put my phone down, turn my light off and try to sleep. The next day I started a three-day substitute teaching placement in a school across town. The students were all from hard backgrounds and I spent my whole day managing behaviour and trying not to let the classes get out of control. It was exhausting and all I wanted to do was sleep as soon as I got home. After that, I was asked to substitute for a week at a private school. The behaviour was easier to manage but between the kids' entitled attitudes and the extra curricular activities I had to support at the end of each day, I was just as exhausted and more than ready to get away from Seattle for the weekend.

Through those two weeks I became a Facebook junky. Every spare minute I would get out my phone and check it. Edward posted the same sort of things all my male friends posted. Liking memes, funny jokes and articles about music and bars. One of his friends kept posting links to articles about the Rugby World Cup on his page. He posted a lot of things about rugby too; articles about rehabbing injuries, a link about leadership skills, a quote from a careers expert about how important it is for players to think about what they want to do when their sports career is over, and all the posts had lists of names tagged in them as if he was encouraging others to be as future-focussed and driven as he was. The only insight I got of his personal life was one picture of a plate of potato salad with the description "carbo-loading with **Emmett** , thanks bro."

On Friday night I drove to Portland and fell into the hotel bed fully clothed. I didn't move, not even to get undressed, until my alarm woke me in the morning. I got up, showered, put on my nicest clothes and followed my GPS to the school for my interview. It was hard to know if it went well and because of previous experience with interviews and my lack of success I couldn't help doubting myself. To try to distract my brain from my negative thoughts, I wandered around Portland for the afternoon, looking through the shops and treating myself to a nice lunch.

My phone buzzed and I took it out expecting to see a text from Dad checking I was okay.

 **Are you in Portland this weekend? E.** It wasn't from Dad, it was from Edward.

I wondered for a second how he had gotten my number. I had never text him and hadn't even thought to tell him my number. But I quickly remembered that Aunt Renee didn't have any respect for privacy and must have given my number to him.

 **Yes, in Portland right now. Interview was this morning. Bella.**

It took him a couple of minutes to reply and I wondered if he was just checking if I was in the city or not. Maybe he wanted to know if he might need to keep an eye out for an emergency text from me. I suddenly felt disappointed. Why did I think he would want to see me? He must have just felt like he needed to say the right things for Aunt Renee's benefit.

 **Welcome to Portland! What are your plans for the rest of your visit? E.**

I laughed at myself. I had forgotten that he was a nice guy who said the right things even in our messages Aunt Renee couldn't see. I looked around myself and realised I had been wandering around the city for a couple of hours and hadn't found anything interesting to do. I had no idea what I was going to do for the rest of the day or the next.

I wondered if he remembered his offer to take me to his rugby game. My nervousness and apprehension about going to it had completely disappeared. **Not sure. Might go to rugby game later... Bella.**

His reply was quicker this time. **Yay! I'm at the Captain's Run right now. Should be finished in an hour. Want to meet somewhere? E.**

Suddenly my nerves returned but I pushed them down. He was a nice guy and he knew my aunt. I wanted to be friends with him and I was pretty sure he felt the same.

 **Okay. You tell me where and I will find it. Bella.**

 **Do you think you can find City Coffee? SW 4th Ave. If you haven't already, go have a look around Pioneer Place. I will text again when I'm on my way. E.**

I looked up Pioneer Place and made my way across a couple of blocks, back to near where I had parked my car earlier. It was a pretty mall with a glass roof and chandeliers. I looked around for a present for Dad but didn't find anything. Instead I bought a scarf with bells on the tassels for Aunt Renee. It would be a nice way to thank her for helping me this weekend by putting me in contact with Edward. The mall was big enough to keep me occupied until I received the next text.

 **Leaving stadium now. See you soon. E.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Leaving stadium now. See you soon. E.**

I quickly left the mall and walked around the corner to the coffee shop. I waited outside in the sun and tried to control my nerves.

 **Parking now. Tell me what you're wearing so I know who you are! E.**

I laughed and suddenly my nerves were gone, replaced by embarrassment. Of course he would need help recognising me but I didn't. I was the idiot who had been studying his picture.

 **Brown boots, black jeans, dark blue shirt, ponytail. Bella**

For the next couple of minutes my eyes swept up and down the street looking for him. Then I saw him. He was also looking at people as he walked but he hadn't seen me yet. His hair was wet and he had pink spots on his cheeks from exercising. The collar on his shirt was standing up and the hem was roughly tucked into his jeans. He looked like an athlete; fast, tall and confident.

I bit my lip as I realised how small and plain I was going to be next to him.

He finally saw me and grinned as he waved. I smiled back and waved too as he walked the last few feet.

"Hi, Bella."

"Hi, Edward."

"It's good to finally meet you."

I could feel my cheeks heating up and I lowered my eyes to his chest. "You too."

We were silent for a second and I forced myself to look up at him again. He seemed to be waiting for that because he smiled and leaned down to kiss my burning cheek.

"Let's go get a table. I'm starving."

I nodded and followed him into the cafe. It was almost empty, being so late in the afternoon but not yet late enough for dinner. We could have sat anywhere and Edward chose two armchairs in a corner and bathed in sunlight. I almost laughed when we sat and picked up the menus at exactly the same time.

There was silence for a few minutes as we both read the menu. I put mine down first and looked around the cafe to avoid looking at Edward.

"Do you know what you want?"

I nodded. I wasn't hungry and I didn't feel like eating but I would get something to be polite. "I'm going to get a chicken salad."

He smiled and stood up. "Don't move."

I did as I was told and watched him go to the counter to order. My eyes stayed on him, studying his back, until he turned to come back. I quickly pretended I was looking for something in my bag and pulled out my phone.

He sat in the chair beside me and I smiled at him as I put my phone on the table without even looking at it.

"What's a Captain's Run?" I asked.

He shifted to lean closer to me. "It's a training session directed by the team captain instead of the coach, usually just before a game. We run drills and anything else that needs practice then do a quick media session."

I couldn't stop myself from showing surprise. I had never seen any coverage of rugby in television so I didn't realise there was any interest.

Edward was chuckling at my reaction. "What's that look for?"

I blushed. "Sorry, I was wondering what media was there and why I haven't seen anything about rugby on TV."

He nodded and shrugged, not insulted at all. "Yeah I know. Sometimes we get some interest from networks like ESPN but we don't usually make it to air. Today it was all networks from other countries."

This only made me more surprised.

He laughed at my expression. "It's a World Cup year so most of the rest of the world are obsessed with rugby."

I laughed too. I knew about the World Cup from his Facebook page but without that, I would have had no idea. "Who is the captain?" I asked even though I wouldn't know who he was talking about.

He looked down at the tabletop and scratched his chin. "Me."

"Wow," I breathed. I had no idea he was captain but it explained all the motivational posts he made on Facebook.

We were silent for a few seconds and our food arrived. I was handed a bowl of salad. Edward had several plates delivered until the table was covered.

I looked at all the food and laughed. "Is this carbo-loading?"

He chuckled and nodded then started pointing at the plates. "Pasta, rice, bread and potatoes."

"And the chocolate cake?"

He shrugged. "It looked nice."

I laughed. "I hope all that food doesn't make you sick."

"Nah, I'm really hungry."

We started eating. I spent half the time nibbling on my salad and the other half watching him. Before I knew it, he only had the cake left and he was leaning back in his chair.

"That was good."

I grinned at him. "I can't believe you fit all that in. What about your cake?"

He rubbed his stomach. "No problem, but would you like to help me eat it?"

I nodded and reached over with my fork.

He watched me eat a bite. "You're wearing our colours."

I looked down at my shirt and smiled. "Oh yeah. I forgot you play in blue."

He smiled and put some cake in his mouth. His eyes stayed on me as he chewed and swallowed. "It looks good on you."

I blushed and tried to focus on not dropping cake on myself. "Thanks."

"How was your interview?"

I relaxed again with the change of subject and looked back up at him. "Okay I think. They asked the same questions that every school seemed to ask apart from a couple of surprises."

"What sort of surprises?"

I bit my lip as I let memories of the interview back into my mind. "Not great surprises, more like things that I didn't know how to answer."

He hummed encouragingly and waited.

"They asked if I'm organised... How do you answer that? I couldn't just say 'yes' even though that was all I could think of. I said something about folders and diaries..."

He was nodding as I spoke. "I know all about those sorts of questions. Usually they're the ones you think of a perfect answer to days or months later and never get asked them again."

I huffed and nodded. That was exactly what I was anticipating.

"Why did you want to become a teacher?"

"I didn't," I said with a laugh. "I did an arts degree majoring in English. Once I finished I didn't know what job I wanted, or could get, so I kept studying. I got my teaching diploma because I didn't really want to do masters."

He gave me a little smile. "So you just fell into it."

I nodded and grimaced. "Yeah, and got stuck. I can't even get a teaching job."

"But that's why you're here. To get a job."

"Fingers crossed."

He smiled and held up his own crossed fingers. "I'm studying part time. Business school. Once my rugby career is over, I need something to do."

I smiled up at him. I remembered he had shared an article about life after rugby on Facebook. "What is the average retirement age of rugby players?"

We talked until he had to leave for the game. He told me about his ideas for businesses he would like to set up and how long he expects to play rugby before he starts acting on those ideas.

"Would you rather a sideline seat or be in the box with the wives and girlfriends?"

"Oh... Um..." I was surprised that I had a choice. I had assumed I would be just another spectator in the stand. Of course, I had heard about 'WAGs', wives and girlfriends, both real and fictional, and I thought I would probably be seriously out of place mixing with them. But I wasn't sure it would be the same in a less well known sport, and probably with less over-paid players.

"You can do both. I will get you into the box to start off with. The ladies are cool, they will look after you. Then, if you want to leave, you can. The stadium won't be full so you can sit wherever you want."

"Thank you. That sounds good." I smiled at him and he smiled back.

We stood up, collected our things and I followed him out of the cafe and down the street to his Jeep.

"Get in and I will take you to your car."

I climbed into the passenger seat and directed him. "It's the little red one over there."

He grinned. "Cute car."

I laughed and stepped out.

"Follow me to the stadium. I will get you into the VIP parking with me."

I drove behind him across town and up to the gates under the stadium. Edward spoke to the security guard for a minute and we were waved through. He parked in the almost empty parking lot and I pulled into the space beside him.

"Are you ready for your first rugby game?" He asked with a smirk.

I nodded. "Sure."

He stared at me for a few seconds as if he could see my nervousness. I hoped he wouldn't ask why I was nervous. How could I explain that I had massively over-thought about what was coming and was now imagining all sorts of crazy things about who I might meet.

"Follow me." He turned away and led me to a door under the stands.

We went through the door into a maze of concrete corridors. He stopped at a door marked 'home team' and looked back at me. I could already smell deep heat, mildew and body spray so I knew this was going to be the locker room before he opened the door. Inside, the walls were lined with lockers and chairs but it was completely deserted.

Edward put his keys and phone into one of the lockers and turned to face me. "Do you want a tour?"

I nodded.

He waved an arm around the room. "Obviously this is the locker room. Through there are the showers and ice baths." He led me out into the corridor again. "That's the team's office. The management work there." We kept walking. "Equipment store, kitchens, opposition locker room..."

I got a quick look through each door as we passed.

"And here is the tunnel."

I stepped around the corner into a short corridor. At the end I could see the turf and the opposite stand. We walked to the end and I stepped carefully onto the grass as I imagined running out to a packed stadium of fans. I looked up at the stand we had been under. There were two tiers of seats and corporate boxes above.

As I had been looking around, Edward had wandered over to talk to the small group of people already sitting waiting in the seats. I went over to join him and listened as he talked to the people. He seemed to know most of their names and was chatting about rugby. Someone asked about the World Cup and Edward said something that made them all laugh about a pool of death.

A few minutes later, he said good bye and I followed him back down the tunnel.

"The team should be arriving. Would you like to meet them or go up to the team box?"

It took me a second to decide which I was less nervous about, trying to fit in with the WAGs or meeting players. "I'll come with you."

He nodded and led me back to the locker room. As we passed the team's office, the door swung open and a tall, solidly built man stepped out.

"Ah, Edward. I was just about to look for you."

Edward stopped and shook the man's hand. "How's it going, Coach?"

"Not bad. We have a few last minute things we need to discuss before the game."

Edward nodded and turned to me. "This is my friend, Bella. Bella, this is Coach. This is her first rugby game."

"It should be a good one." He shook my hand and smiled before turning back to Edward. "Be back here in ten."

Edward nodded and we went on to the locker room.

At the door, Edward checked inside before opening it fully. I was only slightly disappointed I didn't get to see any half-naked guys. Then he let me in, led me to the middle of the room and introduced me to his teammates.

"Everyone, this is Bella. She's a friend of my family and this is her first rugby game." There was a chorus of hellos from the men sitting around the room. "That's Jasper, Mike, Ben, James, Alec, Sam, Paul, Quil, Garrett, Liam, Emmett, Embry and Jared."

I smiled and nodded at each one of them, knowing there was no way I would remember any of their names.

A tall man with broad shoulders and tape around his thighs stood up and came closer. He held out his hand for me to shake. "Welcome to our locker room. If you were here a few minutes ago you could have helped me get changed." He winked as he finally let go of my hand.

"Emmett!" Edward said. He stepped slightly closer to me as if I would need physical protection.

I bit my lip and held Emmett's gaze. "Are the rumors true? You aren't smart enough to dress yourself?"

Emmett bent forward and clutched at his chest. "Your words! They hurt."

Edward chuckled. "Modern day rugby players aren't meatheads like they used to be. But Emmett seems to be holding on to traditions."

Emmett glared at Edward but didn't have a retort.

"So, um, I need to go to that meeting." Edward was looking down at me with a frown. "I'm going to have to get someone to take you up to the box." He looked around the room. "Mike, can you take Bella up to the WAGs?"

I looked over at Mike, a skinny guy with dirty blonde hair. He nodded and came over.

"I can do it." Emmett was grinning at me and ignoring Edward. "I don't mind escorting you up there. It will only take a second." He winked again and I grinned at him.

"But Mike..." Edward tried to argue.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go." Emmett took my hand and pulled me towards the door.

I looked back at Edward, who was frowning still, and waved. Then I was out the door and following Emmett to a staircase.

* * *

Please review. The more you do, the quicker I post (and write).


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, Bella. Let's go." Emmett took my hand and pulled me towards the door.

I looked back at Edward, who was frowning still, and waved. Then I was out the door and following Emmett to a staircase.

"This is the back entrance. All the WAGs like coming this way." He turned to wink at me and chuckled as he continued up the stairs. "The kitchen staff use it too so be careful. You don't want to get in their way when they're carrying food up."

At the top, he opened the door and we stepped into a carpeted, decorated, warm hallway. It was a big difference after the concrete below.

"There are five boxes up here. The WAGs always use the end one and the rest are usually empty." He pointed out the restrooms and the official staircase and entrance to the boxes as we walked. "Here you are..."

I wiped my damp palms on my jeans as he opened a door. The sound of conversation swelled and I cleared my throat nervously.

The first thing I noticed was the women looked normal. There was no over-the-top makeup, or even ugly orange spray tans. They were all wearing normal clothes; jeans, boots, shirts, jumpers. I felt myself relax slightly. At least I didn't look out of place.

"Alice," Emmett called as he approached one of the women. "This is Bella. This is her first rugby game. Can you look after her?"

The woman called Alice was very small despite her high-heeled boots. She had short, dark hair and looked friendly. She smiled widely and nodded at me. "Of course. Welcome, Bella. Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please." I smiled up at Emmett and followed Alice across the room to a small bar.

"We have Coke, juice, champagne or water."

"Coke please."

Alice opened the bar fridge and handed me a bottle. I thanked her and she grinned. "Come and meet some of the ladies."

I followed her over to a group standing in the middle of the room.

"Jess, Angela, Victoria, this is Bella," Alice said, interrupting their conversation.

The three women smiled and shook my hand, murmuring small talk.

"We were just talking about what color Jess should choose for her kitchen cabinetry," Angela said.

Alice hummed and nodded.

"I'm thinking black," Jess said, "with a white bench top because I can't deal with the crumbs. I've heard black bench tops show everything. My brother is doing black with a solid steel bench top, not the wrap around ones everyone seems to be doing. I think I want black stained oak veneer for the cabinets to hopefully hide the marks."

The three other women were nodding and Victoria shared her opinion next. "I think kitchens should be white, personally. It just looks and feels cleaner and I don't think it's any harder to keep nice. I love my marble bench top too."

Alice hummed and nodded again before speaking. "I guess you need to think about how much you like cleaning. The stained wood will be best because anything shiny and black will be a nightmare. I have seen some awful black glass splash backs. White is good too, but high gloss white is no longer popular in Scandinavia and their trends usually feed this way."

Jess smiled at Alice then looked at me. "What do you think, Bella?"

"Oh... Um..." I said as I tried to think of something useful to say about a topic I had never thought about before. "I think it would depend on how much light gets into your kitchen. If it's a bright space, black would look awesome."

"Very true," Alice said as she grinned at me.

The three other women were nodding too as they considered what I said.

"Come with me," Alice said as she took my hand. She led me over to another group of women. "Emily, Rachel, Claire, this is Bella."

I shook hands with this group too.

"Alice," Claire said, "have you heard from Rose? We haven't seen her for months."

Alice cleared her throat and shook her head. She started speaking but I didn't listen. Instead, I looked out of the glass sliding doors beside us, down over the stadium. The view was impressive. I could see the whole field, the stand opposite us, and the small crowd in the seats in front of us.

I hadn't realised the teams had come out onto the field already. They were getting into position for kick-off. The blue team was spread randomly over one half of the field and the red team was lined up at the centre line. As I watched, a red player kicked the ball high into the air and his teammates raced forwards. The blue players ran to where the ball was falling and one was lifted to catch it.

I looked around at the women. None of them were watching the game and I wondered if I should let them know it had started.

I turned back to see what was happening. Maybe the women only watched when something exciting happens. A player was running up the field and into a swarm of players. Then the players piled onto him until the referee blew his whistle.

I saw that the blue team had the ball and they kicked it down the field and over the boundary. It took a few minutes for both teams to get organised. A small group lined up in front of the referee while the others spread across the field. The ball was thrown along the line of players and two were lifted to catch it before it was passed across the field. Each player who caught the ball, hurled themselves at the opposite team. The tackles looked bone-crushing and the pile of players that followed looked suffocating, but they always got up again as if nothing had happened.

The teams kept running and tackling. They passed and kicked the ball. The referee waved his arms around, blew his whistle and seemed to argue with the players a lot. I tried to follow what was happening.

The only thing I understood was that Edward was always in the middle of everything; running with the ball, crashing into the red players, jumping into the piles and speaking to the referee.

Around me, the WAGs talked and drank, paying no attention to what was happening on the field. Alice had wandered back to the conversation about Angela's kitchen. No one was free to help me understand what was happening in the game.

Just as the half-time whistle was blown, platters of food were delivered to the box and Alice came to pull me away from the window. We sat on the couches with everyone in a circle around the food.

Alice handed me a plate and started talking. "That's Siobhan," she said as she pointed to a woman I hadn't met yet. "She's married to Liam. Next to her is Kate who is married to Garrett. You know Claire who is Quil's girlfriend, Rachel who is engaged to Paul, and Victoria who puts up with James."

Victoria laughed and rolled her eyes.

Alice laughed too before continuing around the group. "That's Jane, she's Alec's sister. Emily is married to Sam. Angela is married to Ben, and Jess..."

"Jess will leave Mike if he doesn't propose soon."

Everyone laughed at Jess' explanation of her relationship.

Alice shook her head. "My husband is Jasper."

"And they are newlyweds so don't get her talking about Jazz," Siobhan said with an eye roll and a laugh.

Alice playfully stuck out her tongue before turning to me. "So how long have you been with Emmett?"

The question caught me off guard and surprised me into shocked silence. But everyone was looking at me so I had to say something. "I'm not. We just met before the game."

I looked around the circle and saw looks of surprise. I could also see the judgement written on their faces. Is she a slut? Will she be back or will Emmett just sleep with her and dump her? We shouldn't have let her in.

I explained quickly before they kicked me out. "My aunt is friends with Edward's mum. I'm in Portland for the weekend and Edward offered to bring me to the game. I come from a sports-mad family."

There were relieved smiles and understanding nods. Then the chatting resumed as if peace had been restored to their little group.

Alice brought me another bottle of Coke. "Are you coming to the after-match function?"

I didn't know what that was and she could see my question without me asking.

"We just move down to the club rooms. The teams come too and have their little court sessions. Then we all have a couple of drinks together. It's just a low-key evening for the players to wind down and socialise with the opposition."

I nodded. "That sounds nice. I will talk to Edward after the game." I wasn't sure he would want me there. I would need to check with him. I heard the faint noise of a whistle out on the field. "I'm going to go watch the game..."

Alice smiled and nodded. "Okay. Enjoy it."

I smiled as I stood up. I was enjoying watching rugby even if it was confusing. I wondered if any of the WAGs had ever tried watching it or if they were never interested.

At the window, I sat on a stool and leaned against a high table to watch the game. They had already started and I settled in to watch and try to follow what was happening.

Eventually I started recognising some rules and plays. Every time there was a pile of players, the others would spread out to either side. One player would get the ball from the pile and pass it down the line. The player with the ball would then run forward and start another pile, or pass to the next person in the line. They could also kick the ball forward. One player dropped the ball and the referee blew his whistle and let the other team have it. None of them ever ran up the field, ahead of their team, and I was beginning to wonder if the ball could only be passed backwards unless it was kicked.

Edward seemed to prefer being in the piles and close to the ball. I kept an eye on him, using the number six printed on the back of his shirt because I was too far away to see his face.

Alice came over and sat next to me thirty minutes into the half. "How are they doing?"

I laughed. "I'm not really sure. Rugby is pretty confusing."

She hummed and watched the game quietly for a minute. "My husband, Jasper, is number ten."

I nodded. "He does the kicking."

"Yes. The first-five is usually the one given kicking duties. Penalties, conversions, advantage..."

I looked at her with wide eyes. She knew things about the game even though she showed no interest. "What about the number six?"

Alice laughed. "Edward is one of the flankers. They go on the side of the scrum and do most of the tackling. He is very good at contesting the ball in the ruck."

I nodded politely even though I wasn't sure what she had meant. After another couple of minutes watching the game in silence, she wandered off again.

A blue player was lying flat on his back on the ground. The rest of the teams were still playing, just a few feet up the field. I watched and waited for him to get up and run off but he didn't. A medic in a hi-vis vest ran onto the field with a bag and knelt by the player's head.

"Oh no," I muttered. The player had been helped up to sit on the grass and I could clearly see the number six on his back.

For several minutes, the medic crouched by Edward, moving his legs and pressing on his thigh before they stood up. Edward put his arm around the medic's shoulders and slowly limped from the field.

I looked around to see if any of the women had noticed what was happening and could tell me what to do. Should I go down and see if he was okay? Could I do something to help? Would they be taking him away to hospital? Was I really feeling that worried about Edward?

I forced myself to sit and watch for another minute. None of the other players in his team were concerned. They were still playing as if nothing had happened. Surely they would stop if Edward's injury was serious. I stood up and went to the bar to get another drink. My hands were shaking and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

Rugby was such a violent game and without any padding or helmets, I was surprised there weren't any serious injuries.

"Bella, do you want more food?" Alice asked as I walked past her. "The kitchen staff will clear it away soon."

I thanked her and took a couple of sandwiches.

"Who won the game?"

I shrugged. "Portland were leading last time I looked." I had lost interest in the game but there had only been five minutes left to play so I assumed I wouldn't miss anything. Or at least, not much more than I had missed anyway because I didn't understand.

"There's the whistle," Alice said. "Let's all go show our support."

All the women stood and lined up at the window. We watched as the players shook hands and exchanged manly hugs and back-slaps. Edward was able to walk unassisted but he was limping badly. He shook hands with everyone and talked to the referee for a few minutes. Then he walked to the sideline and was interviewed in front of a television camera for a few minutes.

A few minutes later, the field was deserted and the WAGs wandered away from the windows.

Alice linked her arm through mine and steered me back into the room. "Now we wait for them to shower and come up here."

I nodded and felt my nerves flair. I had managed to fit in with the women but adding the men to the mix meant a bigger group and probably not much chance of relaxing.

"Come and get another drink. Would you like some champagne to celebrate the end of the game?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yes, please." She didn't need to know I was hoping the alcohol would help me cope.

Only twenty minutes later, the door was opened and Edward came into the box. The ladies clapped as he waved and smiled at them. Then he came over to me. He was grinning despite the limp and I grinned back even though almost everyone was watching us.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you will again.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying my story. A few people have said you don't know much about rugby which makes me nervous about the next two chapters where I do my best to explain the game. Please know, rugby is the national sport in my country, I have been watching it all my life, I've been to heaps of games and I even married a player. So, in this next part I have done my best to explain the game while writing from the point of view of someone who doesn't know the game. It might not work! Let me know how I do.

If you're reading this story for the relationship between B and E rather than the sport (probably most of you) please persevere through these chapters. I hope you can see the feelings between them starting to develop.

GO THE MIGHTY ALL BLACKS! Rugby World Cup final, here we come!

* * *

Only twenty minutes later, the door was opened and Edward came into the box. The ladies clapped as he waved and smiled at them. Then he came over to me. He was grinning despite the limp and I grinned back even though almost everyone was watching us.

"How are you?" He asked as he gave me a quick hug.

I nodded and smiled as he pulled back. "Great, thank you."

"What did you think of the game?"

I blushed and wondered if he really wanted to know how hard it was to follow. "It was good."

He smiled happily and squeezed my arm before turning away. More of the players had arrived and were greeting the women. Edward went off to talk to them and I realised I had forgotten to ask if he was okay. I watched as he limped across the room and wondered how good he was at hiding injuries. Being a rugby player, I assumed he would be used to pain and so it must be very bad if he couldn't walk properly.

He still managed a small jump onto Jasper's back and the two men laughed.

Alice rolled her eyes as she took a step back, away from their playfulness. "So who won the game?" She asked with a smirk.

Jasper reached out to tickle her side as he laughed. "We did, of course." He didn't seem to mind that his wife didn't watch the game or even pay any attention to what he had been doing.

Edward was also grinning down at Alice but I still wanted to show him I was interested and paying attention. I realised my 'it was good' about the game made me sound like any one of the other ladies. He didn't know that I had watched most of the game and was trying hard to understand it and learn about it. But it was too late now to bring it up again and show him.

Eventually the room became packed with people as all the men came in and someone announced that it was time to go down to the club rooms. I followed the crowd and found myself behind Edward. He was talking to someone I didn't recognise about the World Cup.

"We play Samoa first."

Edward nodded. "Yeah. To be honest, I'm not sure if we have much of a chance there. They are a tough team."

The other guy hummed and nodded. "Yeah, I remember the bruises. But we still get to practice against them in the PNC. That should give us an idea about what we will face."

"Then we have Scotland."

"Did you hear that Maitland pulled a hammy?"

Edward laughed. "Yes I did and I'm not surprised you bring that up. It might make your job a little easier, eh?"

The other guy laughed too. "That was what I was thinking! But then we have South Africa..."

They were both silent for a few seconds.

Edward was last to speak as we walked down the concrete corridor under the stand and through a decorative double door. "Pool B isn't a bad pool to be in. We face Japan last and I think we definitely have a chance there."

We had arrived in the club rooms. It was a large room decorated with rugby memorabilia and honours boards. There was thick carpet on the floor and a television in each corner. Along one side was a large bar with a large variety of spirits displayed above a line of bar fridges. Around the room, leaners and tall stools were placed in groups. The group split in two and the men walked through another door and out of sight.

The women gathered in a corner and I sat next to Alice. Everyday conversations like I had heard up in the box continued and I happily sat amongst them and listened.

Then I heard chanting from the other room. No one else reacted so I assumed it was normal. Alice caught my eye, shook her head and grinned. Then there was a minute of silence before a loud cheer came through the walls. I bit my lip to stop my laughter as I tried to imagine what was happening. There was another silence and another cheer. The pattern continued for another ten minutes before we heard more chanting and a longer silence.

Then the men emerged from the back room, all grinning happily and bouncing around as if they had energy to burn despite the game of rugby they had played.

Edward was still limping but showing no other signs of injury as he walked over to me. "Alright, Bella?"

I nodded and smiled as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Would you like a drink?"

I nodded again and watched as he pushed through the crowd at the bar. He returned with a champagne flute for me and a bottle of beer for himself.

"Thank you," I said as he handed me my drink.

"No problem." He stood in the space between me and Alice, close enough that I could smell his cologne. "Alice, you should probably know that Jazz has been appropriately punished for his missed goals today."

Alice looked up at Edward and laughed. "Good to hear. How many did he miss?"

Edward grinned. "All of them."

"Poor hubby. He will need comforting..."

"That might be the problem, Alice," Edward said with a smirk. "Is there any reason he might have a strained groin or aching leg muscles?"

Alice blushed a deep red before hitting Edward's arm. "Shut up, Edward."

Edward turned to me and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she's already told you they got married less than a month ago..."

"Twenty-three days," Alice said with a nod.

Edward laughed. "We are all surprised they can stop touching long enough for Jazz to play..."

Alice hummed as she stood up. "You're right..." She wandered off to find her husband and do dirty things to him.

Edward took her seat and sat facing me. "I've known both of them for a long time. Since high school."

I nodded and sipped my drink. "I think I'm beginning to understand rugby."

He smiled brightly, pleased that I was trying.

"The ball can't be passed forward, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Or lost forward... Knocked on. The ball can only be carried forward."

"Or kicked?"

He laughed kindly. "You are observant. Yes, it can be kicked up the field but only specialist kickers attempt that. Usually the first- or second-five."

I nodded but frowned as well. I didn't know what a first- or second-five was.

Edward laughed again, seeing my confusion. "Why don't you come to my apartment tomorrow? I need to review the game tapes. I can explain everything."

Without thinking it through, I nodded and smiled up at him. He smiled back and took my phone from my hand to add his address into his contact details. I watched his fingers as they wrapped around my phone and touched the screen. He handed it back and our fingers touched, bare skin to bare skin, for a second longer than necessary. I bit my lip and blushed, unable to look up at him.

I shook those feelings off and took a deep breath before sipping my drink and meeting his eye again.

"When do you go home?" He asked after swallowing his own mouthful.

"Tomorrow afternoon. No rush to get home." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Come over after you check out."

I nodded. "Okay. I will be there around ten and I think I will go now. I need some sleep after such a long day."

"And you need to be refreshed for the long drive home."

I smiled up at him and nodded.

We stood and I followed him out of the club rooms. Alice had disappeared so I didn't get a chance to say good bye but I didn't think she would be worried. She had more important things to do.

We walked in silence down the corridors and out into the carpark. At the back of my car we stopped and he bent down to kiss my cheek.

"Thank you for coming."

I felt my cheeks heating up again. "Thank you for inviting me. I had fun."

"Good," he said with a nod.

I got into the car and slowly drove away. Just before I turned out of sight, he waved and I waved back.

Next morning I packed my bags and checked out of the hotel. Then I searched for Edward's address and saw it was close. It only took me a minute to get there. I knocked on the door.

"Oh hi," Edward said as he opened the door and let me inside.

I didn't say anything as I tried not to look at his bare chest and low-slung sleep pants. As I forced my eyes to stay on his face I realised he looked very tired. "Did you have a late night? Too many celebratory drinks?" I chuckled as I followed him through to the living room.

He fell down onto the couch and placed a lumpy towel on his thigh. "No. Couldn't sleep." He gestured at his lap and I remembered his injury. There must be ice in the towel.

"Oh," I said, feeling awkward that I had joked about it. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Finally I had managed to say what I had wanted to the night before.

He shook his head and pulled a shirt on. "Maybe you could distract me."

I bit my lip and tried to not blush. There was no way he was asking me to make out with him or have sex with him. For some reason I was reading too much into innocent comments.

He laughed and patted the couch. "Sit down and watch the game with me. You can ask all the questions you can think of. That should keep us busy."

I chuckled and sat at the other end of the couch. He pushed a button on the remote and the screen lit up with yesterday's game. There was a notebook and pen on the table and he picked it up to take notes.

After ten minutes, he paused the game and grinned at me. "Where are your questions?"

I laughed and shrugged. "I don't even know where to start. I feel like I don't know what I don't know and that's stopping me from knowing anything."

He nodded and smiled kindly. "Okay, I understand. Let's go over some basics. There are two teams of fifteen players. They are numbered from one to fifteen and the number represents what the player's position is. Each position comes with certain core roles and expectations."

He paused and I nodded to let him know I was understanding what he was saying.

"Players one through eight are called the forwards. They are the bigger people on the team and they do a lot of the physical work. They are the ones in the scrum..."

"That's when play stops and the players have a huddle in the middle."

Edward nodded. "Yes but it's not just a huddle. The referee calls 'crouch, touch, bind, engage,' then there is a lot of pressure as they all start pushing. The forwards also do the line-outs, where they line up at the sideline and contest for the ball which is thrown in. That's where the tall locks, numbers four and five, are lifted. When there is a ruck the forwards are the ones who jump in to it and try to get a turn over — try to get the ball from the other team — or try to stop the other team getting the ball."

I nodded, remembering the piles I had wondered about. "Who is in charge of getting the ball out of there?"

He smiled, appreciating my question. "Number nine, the half-back or scrum-half. He is usually one of the smallest players. He is expected to clear the ball and pass it out to the backs. Number nine through fifteen are the backs. They are generally seen as the brains of the team, always looking at strategy rather than brute force. Ten is the first five-eighth or fly-half. He's the kicker and unofficial leader of the backs. He's expected to read the game and pass the ball on to the best player to make a break or gain ground. Sometimes that means kicking the ball up field too."

"Jasper?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, that's Jasper's position. Next in line is number twelve, the second five-eighth or inside-centre. He's the back-up to the first five. Next is number thirteen, the centre who is a runner but also a defender who needs to be the first tackler if the other team's backs get a run. Then we have numbers eleven and fourteen who are the wingers. They stay out on the sidelines and are the fastest in the team. Most of the other players in the team are trying to make space for those boys to get a run at the try line."

I frowned as I tried to remember it all. "So, starting from the half-back, number nine, there is number ten the first five, then number twelve the second-five, then number thirteen the centre, and numbers eleven and fourteen, the wingers, on the sides."

He nodded and smiled brightly at me. "Well done. That just leaves the full back who is number fifteen. He hangs out behind everyone as a last line of defence and to catch the big kicks from the other team."

I nodded. "Okay, I think I've got it. Now explain to me the game."

"Okay. It starts with the kick-off by the first-five and the ball has to go at least ten metres, that's about thirty feet but everything is metres in rugby. After that it's all running, tackling, rucks and kicking until someone does something wrong."

I hummed. "Then the referee steps in. I don't think I have understood many of the whistle blows."

He chuckled. "Let's start watching then, I will explain as we go." He started the game again and we both watched in silence. At the first whistle he paused it again. "That was a knock-on. The player lost the ball forward. Remember they can only kick the ball forward?"

I nodded. "So the referee let's the other team have the ball."

He nodded and pressed play. "Yes. The other team get to put the ball into the scrum." We watched as the forwards came together and I noticed the strain in the group for the first time. I could see them all pushing forward, against the other team who were also pushing hard. But the referee blew the whistle when the scrum fell down.

"That's a collapse. They have to reset the scrum and try again. If one of the players is doing it on purpose there might eventually be a penalty."

I watched as the scrum was done again, listened as the referee said 'crouch, touch, bind, engage,' and this time it was successful. The ball moved across the ground from the middle to the back of the group and the number eight picked it up to pass to the half-back. "Are the players always in the same place?"

He paused the game again to explain. "Yes. The front row, conveniently called the front row, are numbers one, two and three. They stay in that order but one and three are called props and two is called a hooker because he hooks the ball with his foot in the scrum and pushes it back to the other players. Behind them, in the middle are the locks, numbers four and five."

"They're the jumpers in the line-out." I grinned, pleased with myself.

Edward grinned too. "Good memory, well done. On either side of them are the flankers, numbers six and seven. They are there ready to peel off and tackle the first runner on the other team or defend their own number eight and half-back when they get the ball."

"That's you," I said with a smile.

He nodded and his cheeks coloured slightly. "On the back of the scrum is the number eight who is called the number eight. He pushes and is usually the first to pick up the ball after it's been through the scrum."

"Okay, got it," I said.

Edward pressed play and we watched in silence until the next whistle blow. He paused it but didn't say anything as he wrote a quick note in his book.

I waited for a few seconds, trying to work out what happened for myself. But all I understood was there was a ruck and Edward was in the middle of it. "Did you do something wrong?"

He chuckled. "Yes I did. In a ruck both teams are trying to get possession. You're allowed to use your hands if you're still on your feet. As soon as you collapse you have to stay still or get out of the way. I got caught playing the ball." His cheeks were pink now.

I looked down at my lap and tried not to smile. "What happens now?"

* * *

Yes, I know the referee doesn't say "crouch, touch, bind, engage". That's me using my artistic licence to create a hybrid of the old and the new rules to make the title fit the story. (Read whatever you want into that!)

Please remember to review :)


	6. Chapter 6

I looked down at my lap and tried not to smile. "What happens now?"

"The referee awards the other team a penalty. They get to choose to kick for goal which could get them three points, tap and run which is good if the other team is scattered and unable to defend, take a scrum, or kick for touch." He pressed play and we watched the red first five kick the ball down the field and out over the sideline. "They decided to kick for touch which means they can move closer to the try line and they get to throw the ball into the line-out."

I watched as the players jogged down the field and the forwards lined up at the side of the field. "The hooker throws the ball all the time?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, that's another of his core roles. He has to pass it straight down the middle, between the two lines."

"And the locks are always the jumpers?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "The aim of the line-out is to confuse the other team enough to keep possession. Before the game we memorise several secret plays which use different jumpers, lifters and numbers in the line. Obviously, the props are best for doing the lifting but the flankers or the locks could jump."

We watched the line-out and I saw Edward and the number one prop lifting Emmett who was number four. The red team got the ball and it was passed along their line of backs. I watched tackle after tackle, each player only gaining small amounts of ground. Finally, one player broke the line and dived onto the ground. The red team gathered around to congratulate him and pull him up off the grass.

"That's a try," Edward said, his voice making his annoyance clear. "The player needs to put the ball on the ground with downward pressure, that's why you will see them dive most of the time. It's worth five points. Then they get to convert it." He paused to watch the red team's first five kick the ball over the posts. "That's another two points."

I nodded. "And now the game gets restarted from half way?"

He nodded and we watched as the teams reset. Straight after the kick-off, the red team fumbled the ball and the player lost it forward. I was proud of myself for recognising it and waited for the referee's whistle. But it never came. Instead, they just kept playing.

"Why are they still going?" I asked.

Edward quickly paused it and turned to me with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"The ball was lost forward but they didn't stop."

Edward looked pleased that I had pointed it out. "Yes they did. What happened there is different. When red knocked it on, blue took possession. Because blue had the ball, and they were entitled to it because red made the mistake, the referee didn't bother stopping them because the result is the same — the right team has the ball. He also called 'advantage' which means play will continue while blue is benefitting from it. If blue lose the ball somehow or get pushed back, the referee will stop the play and bring them back to where the knock-on happened so blue can try again. The advantage will last for about thirty seconds. It's all about letting the game flow, the referee doesn't want to interrupt it all the time."

I nodded. I liked that about rugby — that there were long phases of play where the teams could develop their set pieces and show some skills or use some improvisation.

We kept watching and I found myself leaning forward in my seat. Edward's team were slowly inching closer to the try line. I let out a groan when a prop tried diving through the other team's legs to score but was just held back. The ball was quickly passed between the backs, out towards the winger who had just one player in front of him. There was some fancy footwork as the winger tried to get around the red player and a quick pass inside to his teammate as he went down. The centre had the ball and only needed to take a couple of steps before he threw himself down to score. I clapped my hands. That was exciting.

"That's Eric. He did well to get back up to support Laurent."

I nodded and watched as Jasper put the ball onto the kicking tee. He took his time lining it up, backing up and stepping around. Then he kicked it and it flew wide of the posts.

Edward clicked his tongue and wrote a note in his book.

"Did he really miss all his kicks?" I asked, remembering Edward's conversation with Alice.

Edward hummed and nodded. "Yes. Every single one."

"Is it hard to get the ball over the posts?"

He shrugged and thought for a few seconds. "Most players can't do it so I guess it is. But that's because a forward doesn't waste time practicing kicking because they have more important things to do. The first five is expected to practice it because it's their core role. I remember watching a player called Andrew Mehrtens who was probably one of the best kickers ever. He wouldn't miss many, maybe one per game at the most. He could kick from almost anywhere too; the sideline, from over halfway. Drop goals too, even under huge pressure."

"What's a drop goal?"

"Players can kick the ball, after a bounce on the ground, through the opposition's goal at almost any time and score three points. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Usually it means careful planning, where the first-five hangs back, which the other team recognises pretty easily. It's always in a pressure situation too. Not only does the kicker need to be able to control the ball as it hits the ground and his boot follows through, the opposition will be running at him at full speed, then he needs to be accurate. If the ball doesn't go through the posts and crosses the sideline, the dead ball line, the other team get to kick it up the field from their twenty-two meter line, see the line with the number twenty-two on it. Not many people can do it and very few try."

"What will happen to Jasper if he keeps missing?"

Edward shrugged nonchalantly but I could see a worried frown between his eyebrows. "He's been told to practice more and hopefully that will be enough, he isn't usually this bad. But if he doesn't he might be dropped from the team. He's lucky though because he reads the game well and that will probably be enough to save him. And he's a good combination with Ben at half-back, they have a solid partnership. Also, Alec isn't a bad kicker and would probably be better if he practiced more, and it's not like we're the national team."

I hummed and nodded. Edward pressed play and we watched in silence until half time. He occasionally scribbled a note in his book. I was understanding a lot more and following the game pretty well after his guidance.

Edward's team managed to score twice more before the whistle was blown for half-time.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" Edward asked as he put down his pen and notebook.

I shrugged. "If you're going to make something. Otherwise I'm fine."

He smiled and pushed himself up off the couch. "I want toast and coffee."

I let out an involuntary hum of longing at the mention of coffee. He chuckled and I followed him through to the kitchen. The coffee pot was already full and he poured us a cup each. We both added milk and he had two teaspoons of sugar.

I sipped it and hummed happily as he put bread in the toaster.

"How many pieces would you like?"

"Two please," I replied.

He got out two more and put the rest of the loaf away. "What sport do you usually watch?"

I laughed and recited Dad's list. "NFL, NBA, MLB, soccer, NHL, lacrosse, volleyball, snooker, golf, pretty much whatever is on and interests my dad, which means everything."

"That explains why you picked up rugby so quickly."

I nodded. "I've grown up surrounded by sport. Rugby has similarities to football..."

"And soccer," he added. "The history books say that rugby was invented when an English kid picked up the ball and ran with it halfway through a soccer game."

I laughed. It sounded a bit far fetched and too simple to be true, but who knew how any of the games were invented really.

Edward handed me a plate with two slices of toast. "We have jelly, peanut butter, honey or marmite."

I chose jelly and stayed clear of the strange black stuff he called marmite. We ate in silence and went back to the couch with our coffee.

"What NFL team do you support?" Edward asked as he repositioned his ice pack.

"The Seattle Seahawks," I said with a smile.

He hummed. "What NBA team?"

"The Seattle Sonics or Seattle Storm."

"What MLB team?"

"The Seattle Mariners." My smile was now a grin, waiting to see if he caught on to the pattern.

He was smiling too. "Soccer?"

"Seattle Sounders."

"NHL?"

"Chicago Blackhawks." I laughed at the break in the pattern.

He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. How about rugby?"

I smirked at him, knowing what answer he wanted. "I don't think I know enough about it to support a team yet."

He chuckled. "Fair enough. Let's watch the rest of this game so I can ask again."

He pressed play before I could say anything. We watched for thirty minutes without interruption. I was following it all and Edward didn't need to pause it to take notes.

Then Edward's injury happened. I looked over at him to see his reaction to seeing it on the screen. He was frowning and he rewound to watch it again. I kept my eyes on him this time and saw his nose screw up.

"I can't even see what happened. Someone must have landed on me." He shrugged.

I nodded and turned to keep watching. He didn't care at all that he had been hurt so I tried not to, too.

The game ended and he wrote a few more notes in his book before throwing it on the table. "Not a bad game really."

I nodded. "You won despite Jasper's inability to kick... And despite a couple of players continuously giving away penalties."

He blushed and sighed. "I would say it's not usually that bad, that I don't always break the rules, but I can only say that I don't usually get caught that much. That referee was a little too good to suit me."

I laughed.

"Do you think you will watch other games now you understand the rules?"

I nodded. "I think so. I quite like rugby. But it would help if some games were shown on television."

"I know," he said with a shrug. "But there might be more soon, the networks might show an interest in the World Cup."

I nodded. "Surely they will show the USA team playing in a big international tournament."

He didn't seem very sure, though. "Maybe. Unfortunately the Eagles don't have a great record so I don't know if any games will be shown."

"Are you expecting them to win any?"

"I would like to say yes. Maybe against Japan or Samoa. But in reality we are very low on world rankings and always the underdog in any game."

He seemed to be speaking about himself so I asked, "Are you in the team?"

He nodded and started playing with the towel on his lap. "Yeah, I am."

"Wow," I breathed. I hadn't realised how important he was in his sport. It was impressive to me that he was captain of the Portland Barbarians. To be in the national team was much more so.

I suddenly realised that I was sitting on the couch next to an international sportsman, someone who travels around the world playing his sport, one of the best players in the whole country. "That's pretty cool."

He nodded and smiled at me.

We were interrupted by a loud bang as a door was slammed somewhere in the apartment.

"Edward, you made toast. Is there some for me?" Emmett came into the room shouting and stopped suddenly when he saw me. "Wifey!"

I blinked up at him, wondering who he was talking to.

Emmett laughed and pulled me up from the couch and into a hug. "Alice told us she thought you were with me. So I've decided you will be my wife, just to wind up the WAGs."

I laughed and slapped his arms until he let me go. "Usually that comes with a proper question and something shiny."

Emmett rolled his eyes at Edward. "Wives. Always demanding something."

Edward didn't reply, just shook his head as he frowned at Emmett's antics.

I tried to change the topic. "Do you live together?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Edward replied. "Jasper and Alice as well until they got married."

Emmett chuckled. "Alice said married couples need space but I think they just wanted to fuck all the time and everywhere."

"Emmett!" Edward protested.

Emmett laughed and left the room, muttering about toast as he went.

"Sorry," Edward said quietly as we listened to the crashes in the kitchen.

"Don't be. He's funny and I can see he's harmless."

Edward nodded but his frown didn't disappear.

"Anyway, I need to go. I don't want to leave too late and have to drive in the dark." I stood up and picked up my things.

Edward followed me to the door and held it open for me. "Say hi to Renee from me."

I nodded and smiled up at him. "Thank you for looking after me."

"No problem. Nice to have new friend."

"See you around."

"Next time you come to Portland," he said with a nod.

"Or next time you're in Seattle."

We smiled at each other.

"Wait. I got something for you." He rushed away back into the apartment and returned with a team shirt. "This is for you."

I laughed and held it up against my chest to look at it. It was a dark blue rugby jersey with the Portland Barbarians crest on one side. "Thank you. I'm not sure Dad will be happy for me to have this."

Edward chuckled, knowing all about our sporting loyalties. "Don't tell him. Wear it in secret."

I laughed and nodded before tucking it into my bag. "See you soon." I stepped closer to him and stretched up to kiss his cheek.

"See you," he said as I walked out to my car.

We waved at each other as I drove off and I couldn't stop smiling all the way home.

* * *

Please review. I would love to know if this has helped you understand rugby, or for those who know the game is it right?


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the slow updating. I'm focussing on NaNoWriMo at the moment!

* * *

Only two weeks ago I was planning a quiet, mostly boring, weekend in Portland around my stressful interview. But I had a great time, thanks to Edward. I was glad I took a chance to meet him and happy I had a new friend.

The following week was quiet. I worked just two days and spent the rest of my time reading about rugby. There were plenty of websites dedicated to the game with full descriptions of all aspects. Reading the explanations was interesting but also so confusing I was constantly wishing Edward was there to explain. I managed to find several games to watch online too.

I got a massive shock when I found the USA Eagles website. The first article listed was about the team's captain, Edward Cullen. This created another shift in my thinking. Not only was he an important player in his Portland team, and good enough to play in the national team, but he was the leader. Edward was the most important rugby player in the whole country.

Every night I went to bed in my new rugby jersey and didn't even feel like I was betraying Dad.

In the middle of the next week, I got a call asking me to interview in Portland again. As soon as the call ended, I texted Edward to let him know I would be in the city again. **Guess where I have to be this weekend. Bella**

It only took him a couple of minutes to reply and I wondered what he was doing. **The** **Bahamas? Canada? Hawaii? Am I close? E**

I laughed at his jokes. **Haha. No, not that exciting. I'm going to be in Portland again. Bella**

 **Yay! Another interview? E** His excitement made me smile.

 **Yes. Same school so maybe it's good news. Bella**

 **Sure is! Want to come over? E**

I frowned at myself. Him asking me to come over made me feel happy but I wasn't sure why. I didn't think I had texted him to get an invitation but now I had it I wondered if that had subconsciously been my reason for texting. **Yes, if you're not busy. Bella**

 **Nope. Bye weekend, so doing nothing. E** The thought of having nothing to do but hang out with him all weekend made me shiver.

 **Okay. My interview is Saturday morning again. Bella**

 **Come over after. E**

 **Okay see you then. Bella**

I grinned happily. Edward was really my friend. A professional, international sportsman wanted to spend time with me.

I made it through the interview reasonably well then put it out of my mind as I drove to Edward's apartment. Nervous excitement was making me jumpy. I skipped up to his front door and knocked loudly. A few seconds later the door flew open.

"Wifey!" Emmett reached out for me and pulled me into his arms.

I laughed and squeezed him back. "Hi, Emmett. Didn't you get my divorce papers?"

He chuckled and pulled me into the apartment. "Yes and I burned them. I'm not signing anything."

Edward was watching us from the lounge doorway, his eyebrows up with amusement.

"Hi," I said as I stopped in front of him.

"Hi back. Do I get a hug too or will it make your husband jealous?"

I giggled as I stepped into his arms.

He kissed my cheek as he pulled away. "Welcome back. Come and sit down."

I followed him to the couch. "So. What's the plan? How are you entertaining me this weekend?"

"I thought a park for lunch then we'll see."

I smiled and nodded. "Okay. Is Emmett coming?"

"Only if you want him too." Edward shrugged.

"Why not?" I said with a matching shrug. Emmett would be good for a laugh.

"Emmett," Edward yelled towards the door. "She said you can come."

There were fast footsteps before a grinning Emmett appeared in the doorway. "Yay! Thanks, wifey. I knew you would want me to come."

Edward groaned and I laughed at the two of them.

"Come on then, let's go." Emmett pulled me up off the couch and towed me out to Edward's Jeep. He let me sit in the front seat but spent the whole drive leaning forwards between Edward and I.

Edward drove West to Elephants Delicatessen where I chose a sandwich and a cake. Edward and Emmett seemed determined to buy everything in the shop and we walked out with several bags of food.

It was only a short walk to the park and I followed them through a rose garden and onto a large grass area.

"Is this okay?" Edward asked as we stopped in the shade of a tree.

I nodded. "Very nice."

He pulled a picnic rug out of his backpack and spread it on the ground. Then he gestured for me to sit. There was an awkward silence as we unpacked our food. Emmett handed me a bottle of coke and I thanked him, my voice small and nervous.

"How was the interview?" Edward asked.

I smiled at him gratefully. "Good. I have no idea what they are looking for, or how many people they are considering, or even why it's taking them so long to make a decision. I'm just glad I still have a chance."

"And you're glad because you get to visit us each time you come here." Emmett was grinning at me.

I laughed. "Sure. It's the highlight of the trip."

"Tell us some stories about teaching, have you had any naughty kids?"

I told them plenty of stories, being a substitute meant I had encountered plenty of difficult students and classes. When I talked about the class who didn't believe I was their teacher, they thought I was too young to be a teacher and must be a senior student pranking them, Emmett laughed so hard he kicked over his drink.

I laughed too as the bottle rolled down the slope, leaving a trail of Coke behind it.

Edward pulled a rugby ball from his bag and stood up. "Would you like to play?"

Emmett jumped up but I hesitated. "Will you tackle me?"

"Only if you want me to," Emmett said with a smirk.

Edward smacked him and shook his head at me. "Of course not. We will just pass the ball and maybe some kicks."

I nodded. "Okay but I'm going to look like and idiot next to two professional players."

Edward winked as he reached for my hand and pulled me off the ground. "Emmett is guaranteed to do something stupid so don't worry."

Emmett huffed and ran off across the grass.

Edward took a few steps forward and tossed the ball to me. I caught it and studied it. It was a lot bigger than a football and slightly more round. I weighed it in one hand, like Dad had taught me, but there was no way I could throw it with just one hand. I looked up and saw Edward was watching me.

"No forward passes right?"

He grinned and nodded as he came closer. "Right. Hold it in two hands." He moved my hands to the long sides of the ball and arched my palm so only the tips of my fingers were touching the ball like a cage, thumbs on a different seam to the fingers. "Now you're going to pass across your body." He kept his hands on mine and swung my arms sideways.

I nodded and practiced the movement for myself.

"Good. Stay there. I'm going to go over here, you're going to pass it to me." He walked a few paces to my left and one back behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and he nodded. I threw the ball as he had shown me and laughed when it sailed up into the air in a high arc. He grinned and ran to get it from where it had bounced to.

"That was good. Throw it harder if you want it to go straight across. It takes a bit of strength, the ball is different."

I nodded. "Yes it is. Now you show me how it's done."

Edward chuckled and looked over at Emmett who had been watching us from a distance. Edward's arms snapped across his body and the ball flew straight to Emmett at perfect chest-height. Emmett passed straight back.

"Ready?" Edward said, looking at me.

I nodded. He passed it to me exactly how he had to Emmett but at a fraction of the speed. I caught it and sighed, grateful that he was taking it easy on me.

It took me a few seconds to turn and position myself for the pass. Then I put all my strength and weight behind the ball and watched in satisfaction as this time it covered the distance and wasn't as flighty.

Edward's smile and approving nod made me grin and bounce on the spot. He laughed and turned to fire the ball at Emmett. "Watch the spin... It helps with the distance, speed and accuracy."

I squinted as the ball came flying back. Edward then threw it to me and I saw it in slow motion. I nodded and tried to spin it too as I returned the pass.

Edward laughed as the ball somersaulted towards him, end-over-end rather than a spiral.

I blushed and laughed too. "I can do it with a football..."

He grinned and passed to me again, ignoring Emmett for now. "Use your fingers and wrists as you let it go."

I tried and managed to get it turning the right way but the arc was back.

"Good," Edward said. "Now just remember your strength."

He passed it to Emmett.

"Bella?" Emmett called and pretended to throw to me.

I gulped and nodded, holding my hands out to show him I was ready. He passed and I focused on the ball, determined to not get hit in the face. It came at me fast and hard and at the last second I stepped aside and put my hand out to try and stop it. The ball hit my palm hard and my skin stung. I shook it as I ran to get the ball.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked as I ran back to him.

I nodded. "That hurt but I'm okay."

He reached for my hand and looked at my red palm, running his fingertips gently over the skin. "Want me to get revenge?" He grinned at me and let go of my hand.

I laughed. "If you want to."

He winked and took the ball.

Emmett was still across the grass from us, watching as Edward looked after me. "Sorry, Wifey," he yelled.

I waved and shook my head to let him know I was fine.

Edward took a couple of steps and dropped the ball onto his foot. His kick sailed high into the air and looked to be falling halfway between the two of them. A second later they both started running, their heads tilted back to see the ball. I watched it too as it fell into Emmett's arms. Edward didn't slow down as he approached and wrapped his arms around Emmett. The tackle brought them both down to the ground and I could hear Emmett's groan despite the distance.

Edward got off him and jogged back to me, a grin stretching across his face.

"Did you hurt him?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, he will be fine."

Emmett got up off the ground and brushed off his shirt. He picked up the ball and pointed at Edward. I backed away, not wanting to be in the line of fire.

They started kicking the ball, each one high in the air, testing each other's catching skills. After a few catches, Edward came over and asked if I wanted a turn.

I shook my head. "No thanks. I think I will watch you from the safety of the picnic blanket."

I sat down and sipped at my Coke while they played. They looked like two carefree men playing with a ball but I had experienced the power in their passes and knew that there was some skill behind it all. Any passerby wouldn't know these were two professional rugby players, one of which was the captain of the national team. A man and his dog passed me, walking along the gravel path. He looked at Edward and Emmett for a few seconds then walked away. I wanted to go over and tell him he was watching professional players, not just a couple of men playing in the park. He should know about these sportsmen. But I knew it would be a lost cause. Rugby wasn't well known and most people were apathetic at best about even the most popular sports.

A group of women in activewear passed next. I saw one nudge another and say something before they all looked at Edward and Emmett. Conveniently, they all decided they needed to stretch and stopped, too far away for me to hear what they were saying. But their body language said it all. They had spotted two big, athletic, fit men in the park and they were wondering if playing with them would be a good workout. I frowned at them before chastising myself. These women were shallow, only attracted to the body, they had no idea who they were looking at, they probably hadn't heard of rugby before. They were harmless. Edward wouldn't be interested in them and I was pretty sure Emmett wouldn't be either.

I laughed at my fickleness. Only minutes earlier I had been wanting to tell the world how important Edward was, now I wanted to keep him secret lest more women became interested in him. But my laugh was cut short when the women finally made a decision and approached Edward and Emmett.

I watched closely as one of them called out and Emmett looked at her. He approached and she spoke to him, flicking her hair and popping her hip. He smiled and nodded, which made me roll my eyes. Typical man seduced with a little flirting and tight clothing.

Emmett spoke to Edward and I was happy that he seemed less enthusiastic but it was too late. The women were arranging themselves into a circle and had started passing the ball between them. I snorted at their chest passes and dropped catches.

Edward was passed the ball and I watched as he gently passed it back, just like he had done with me. I sighed and got my phone out of my bag, not sure why I felt disappointed.

I few minutes later, I looked up from Facebook and saw Emmett was giving one-on-one tutoring to one of the women. She was giggling and seemed to be deliberately misunderstanding. He seemed willing enough to put his arms around her and show her again, though.

None of them had noticed a tall, blonde woman standing in the shade watching everything. She was a long way away from me but I could see anger in her posture; straight back, hand on hip, chin held high and eyes narrowed.


	8. Chapter 8

None of them had noticed a tall, blonde woman standing in the shade watching everything. She was a long way away from me but I could see anger in her posture; straight back, hand on hip, chin held high and eyes narrowed.

My eyes were glued to the scene in front of me as she strode across the grass to the group. She stopped just a few feet behind Emmett and said something that looked like his name. He froze instantly and I saw his eyes squeeze shut as a pained expression crossed his face. Slowly, he turned to look at the woman, moving away from the one he had been helping.

Everyone had stopped moving and were staring at Emmett and the blonde, who was saying something to Emmett. Her glare was fierce and I could see Emmett shrinking in the heat of it; his back curling forwards, his shoulders slumping, and his head lowering.

Then she turned her gaze to the women, said a few words, and sent them on their way.

"Wow," I muttered under my breath. This blonde was scary. Not only did she look intimidating in her red wrap dress and heels, perfect wavy hair and glowing skin, everything about her aggressively said not to cross her.

Once they were alone, Edward approached the blonde and gave her a hug. She hugged him back and I saw her relax into his arms. He was smiling as he turned to point to me. The blonde nodded and they came over, Emmett trailing them like a chastised puppy.

"Bella," Edward said as he stopped at the edge of the mat. "This is Rose."

I stood up and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled warmly. "You too."

"Rose is Emmett's girlfriend," Edward told me with a worried glance at Emmett who was still skulking behind them.

"Ah..." I said and bit my lip to hold back my laugh. Now it all made sense.

Rose hummed thoughtfully, managing to convey that he was lucky to still have her at that moment. She kicked off her heels and sat on the corner of the picnic blanket.

I sat down too and looked up at Edward.

He was still looking at Emmett with a concerned look. "We are going to play for a bit longer. Are you two okay here?"

I nodded and watched as they walked back out into the sun. Rose was searching the bags of food and found a sandwich.

I sipped my Coke and tried to think of something to say.

"Did you see those bitches?" Rose said as she unwrapped the food.

I coughed a laugh and nodded.

"Fucking skanky hoes think they can rub up against my man."

"You dealt with them though..."

She hummed. "Yeah. Hopefully they will think twice next time they decide to try it on with a sexy man in a park." She sighed and watched Edward and Emmett as she ate. "But damn he's hot. Look at him."

I blushed and studied the top of my Coke bottle. "Sure."

She laughed. "So is Edward. Both our men are attractive. Next time you can fight off the whores."

My cheeks heated up more as I shook my head. "I'm not... Edward isn't mine... We aren't seeing each other. I'm a friend."

She was studying me, making my words catch in my throat. Then she shrugged. "Okay. Sorry." Her eyes stayed on me though.

I shifted uncomfortably, crossing my legs and twisting the bottle in my hands. "I don't like Emmett that way either."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to run you off like those other women. I know there is nothing between you and Emmett, he wouldn't step on Edward's toes like that."

I frowned down at my hands. "Do you know what Emmett calls me?"

"Relax, Bella," she said. "I know and I've heard the whole story from both him and Alice. The only thing I'm worried about is that Emmett is being a pain in the butt and I'm quite happy to kick his for you when you tell me to."

I sighed and looked over at her. "Okay. Thanks."

She laughed. "I'm quite happy for you to take over my WAG expectations too. You can be his wifey at the games so I don't have to go."

"Don't you like going?"

She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "No. I'm not the sort of girl who sits around waiting for my man to finish playing games only to sit around some more while he socialises with his team. Don't get me wrong, I like the ladies and I'm happy to go, just not every time."

I nodded. "I watched the game mostly."

She grinned at me. "I bet that made Edward happy."

I laughed and threw my bottle top at her. "I watched it because I like watching sport. Rugby is a great game."

She tossed the top back and laughed. "Okay."

Edward and Emmett returned. Edward sat down next to me and gave me a grin as he opened a bottle of Coke.

"Baby...?" Emmett was still standing, waiting for permission to come close.

"Sit down, Emmett," Rose said in a bored voice.

He did so, with his legs crossed, facing her.

She sighed. "Come here..."

He leaned forward and kneeled so he was bent over her. She raised her chin and their lips touched briefly.

Then she held his shirt in her fist so he couldn't move away. "I've told you before about sluts..." She paused as he nodded. "You're so fucking sexy they can't resist and you need to stop encouraging them."

"But I was just being nice..."

"Nice," she said, cutting him off, "is what encourages them."

"They wanted to learn how to play..."

She raised an eyebrow and he stopped. "Play with what, Emmett?"

He bit his lip. "My ball," he said in a low voice.

"Ball? Or balls? Are other women allowed to play with you, Emmett?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, baby."

She nodded and they crashed together, their mouths fused and hands groping. I looked away and saw Edward was grinning at me.

"What is happening?" I whispered.

He chuckled. "She wears the pants in the relationship... Or maybe he likes punishment... Who knows."

I bit my lip and sipped my Coke until Emmett and Rose stopped mauling each other. She adjusted her dress and ran her fingers through her hair as if nothing had happened. Emmett was breathing heavily and blushed as he adjusted his shorts.

Edward cleared his throat. "It's getting late. I was thinking about going to City Grill for dinner then Legends."

He looked at me and I nodded.

"Okay. Shall we invite Alice and Jasper too?" Rose asked.

Edward shrugged. "You can try, I already texted them but got no reply."

Rose grinned and pulled her phone out of her bra. She tapped the screen a few times and put it to her ear. "Alice, are you busy?" She paused to listen and rolled her eyes. "Are you sure? It doesn't sound like it... Can you stop for a minute? ... Tell him to stop..." Rose held the phone away from her ear and cringed. She gingerly put it back and listened. "Are you done? ... I don't care if he is or not... Stop it already!" She sighed and listened for almost a full minute before speaking again. "Did you get Edward's text about tonight? ... Are you coming? ... Yes I meant to the restaurant and club, disgusting girl... Okay see you at City Grill at seven. Bye, whore." She grinned around at us as she ended the call. "That's how you do it."

Edward snorted. "That's exactly why I didn't call them. Who answers the phone when you're..." He made a disgusted noise and shook his head.

"I wouldn't even hear the phone," Emmett said as he grinned at Rose. "Let alone answer it... All my attention goes into pleasing my baby."

Rose hummed and fought her own grin before winking at him and placing her hand high on his thigh. "It's cold. I need to go home and change for dinner. See you all later." She stood up and brushed her dress off.

We all stood up and Edward and Emmett packed up our stuff.

"Rose," I said as she put on her heels. "What should I wear?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you're comfortable in. Do you have a dress?"

I frowned, annoyed that I didn't prepare properly. I brought day clothes with me, not anything nice enough to go out, even though I was leaving the weekend's entertainment up to Edward.

Rose turned to Edward and Emmett. "Bella is coming with me. We will meet you both at the restaurant."

She kissed Emmett and I gave Edward a smile and a wave as I followed her out of the park. On the way to her car she took out her phone again. "Alice, we need an emergency makeover... Bella... You can have one more then meet us at my place."

I was going to protest. I didn't need a makeover, just a dress to wear. But I decided to relax and get taken along by hurricane Rose. I was away from home and having a fun weekend with new friends. Why not enjoy it?

Rose's car was a small red convertible. She drove it too fast but, like her red dress, it seemed to be a presence everyone paid attention to and give way. I followed her from her car into her apartment. The space was minimalist and modern and I looked around while she went into the kitchen.

"Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Yes please," I called back.

We sat on her couch and sipped our wine. Rose told me all about her job as owner of a chain of mechanics and her modelling career that paid for them. Half an hour later, Alice arrived.

She skipped into the apartment, no sign that she had just finished having sex, her hair wet and starting to spike up. "Hey girls. How was your day?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Less dirty than yours I'm sure."

Alice grinned. "Less satisfying then."

"Hi, Alice," I said with a shy smile.

"Bella! How are you? Are you ready for me to work on you?" Alice wasn't waiting for answers. She took me by the arm and pulled me through Rose's bedroom into the ensuite. "Rose, can you please get the garment bags from my car?"

Rose mumbled something that didn't sound like a yes.

"The black dress is for you, Rose..." Alice winked at me as she sat me in front of the mirror.

Rose disappeared for a minute and returned with a pile of bags on coat hangers. She rummaged through them all before lifting a long black dress out. She held it up and studied it. "Fuck," she muttered then turned to Alice. "This is gorgeous. When did you make it?"

Alice smiled. "I just finished it this week."

Rose didn't appear to be listening. She was holding the dress against her body and looking in the mirror. I watched as she moved to make the fabric swing.

Alice started brushing my hair with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Did you really make it?"

Alice nodded. "I'm a designer. I have a boutique clothing shop."

"Wow," I said.

"I brought a few different styles for you to try. I wasn't sure what you would like."

I smiled at her in the mirror. "Thank you. I don't think I could wear what you made for Rose."

Alice chuckled. "No, not many people could."

She rubbed product through my hair and started curling it. Rose had put her dress down and joined us to do my make up. They talked about the other WAGs in the Portland team and told me funny things that had happened to them all.

Ten minutes later I had loose curls flowing down over one shoulder and smokey eyes. I bit my lip as I studied myself in the mirror. "Thank you," I said meeting first Alice's then Rose's eyes.

They both smiled.

"No problem," Alice said.

I stood up and watched as they worked on their own hair and makeup.

"Have a look through the bags while you wait," Alice said, pointing the hair straighteners at the pile.

I started unzipping the garment bags, pulling out dresses of every colour, length and style. I put aside the ones I liked; a black one with a line of silver buttons down the front, a yellow strapless maxi, a blue one with black lace overlay, and another black one with a thin red belt.

When Alice was finished making herself up, she came over and looked at the ones I picked. She hummed quietly and held them up against me before handing me the blue with a nod.

I went into the guest bedroom to change. Before I emerged, I checked in the full-length mirror. The dress was close-fitting from my neck to my waist then flared out over my hips into a full skirt. The blue part of the dress ended a little too low on my boobs and the lace that continued up to my collarbones didn't cover anything. It was also very short, well above my knees.

Rose whistled as I stepped out of the room. "Sexy!"

I laughed and shook my head, not sure what she was seeing.

Alice was more reserved, checking the fit and using her designer's eye. "The bra has to go."

I looked down and bit my lip.

Rose came to my rescue. "I will lend you a strapless. You can save the sexy red bra for another night."

I blushed. As much as I didn't want to go out without a bra, I would rather that than showing the world my best red bra that I had worn for no reason. Rose tossed me one and I retreated to put it on.

The next time I stepped out, both ladies whistled and Alice added an approving nod. I blushed and looked down at my feet, over the swell of chest Rose's bra had created under the lace.

"Very nice," Rose said with a hum. "I would turn for you if I didn't love cock."

Alice nodded in agreement. "Put those shoes on." She pointed to some black heels in front of me.

They were both changed too. Rose was wearing her new black dress. It was tight and more revealing than mine on top, which made me feel a little better, with a tulip skirt which ended at her ankles. As she moved, the skirt split almost to the top of her thigh, revealing a long leg.

Alice was wearing what looked like a blue and white striped man's shirt with a black belt around her waist. It looked like she had just fallen out of bed and slipped on Jasper's shirt to cover up. I didn't say anything because I had a feeling that was the look she was going for.

"Let's go," Rose said.

We walked out to her car and she drove us across town to the restaurant. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were already there and sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the large dining room. All three of them stood up as we approached. I giggled when I saw the look on Emmett's face. He was looking at Rose, his eyes sweeping up and down her body, as if she was naked and covered in chocolate sauce.

As we all sat, I also noticed that Jasper was holding onto the table top so hard his knuckles were white. The couples both kissed quickly as they murmured greetings.

"You look great," Edward said, leaning closer to me to speak quietly.

* * *

Thank you for your reviews. I hope you will review again!


	9. Chapter 9

"You look great," Edward said, leaning closer to me to speak quietly.

I blushed and smiled as I got comfortable. "Thanks. So do you." He was wearing a plain white shirt with a blue tie hanging loose and black jeans.

He grinned and sat back in his seat, still looking at me. I bit my lip and looked away. Emmett and Rose were still whispering and I could see his hand resting on her bare thigh where the split in her skirt started. Alice and Jasper were holding a menu and discussing what they were going to get.

I picked up the menu too and had a quick look through it. There was no way I would be ordering anything too heavy if we were going dancing. All I needed was something to soak up alcohol.

"What are you going to get?" Edward was leaning close again, looking at my menu.

I held it so he could see too. "The iceberg stack with blue cheese dressing, tomatoes, onions and bacon sounds good."

He hummed. "Do you only eat salads?"

I shrugged. "I like to be healthy. I don't exercise as much as you do."

He laughed. "I'm glad you think that because I'm getting a massive steak and I didn't want you to think I'm a pig."

I grinned at him. "You can get what you want. Do you mind letting me try a little bite?"

He held up two fingers, a small space between them. "Maybe just a very little."

"What are you saying, Edward? We all know nothing about you is little." Emmett's booming voice seemed to fill the restaurant before Rose's elbow filled his stomach and he leaned forward with a groan.

"Shut up, dickhead, or you won't be getting any more than my elbow later too." Rose gave me an apologetic smile.

I caught Emmett's eye and smirked at him. "I know how big his brain is, it's only too obvious after spending time with you today."

Emmett pretended to be stabbed while Jasper whistled appreciatively and everyone else laughed. I smiled and put my menu up so they couldn't see my blush.

"Thank you," Edward muttered into my ear before kissing my cheek. Then he moved away and started a conversation about the rugby game they had played the weekend before.

The waitress took our orders a few minutes later. I surrendered my menu and listened to the rugby talk which had moved on to the World Cup.

"I think Pool A is the only one I can't pick," Jasper was saying. "In Pool B it will definitely be South Africa and Scotland going through. Pool C obviously New Zealand and Argentina will. Pool D probably will be France and Ireland."

Emmett shook his head. "No, I'm backing Tonga in Pool C, I think they could knock Argentina out and Italy in Pool D rather than Ireland."

Edward was frowning. "I don't think Pool A is that hard to pick. Yes, it's the pool of death but Australia and England are in there."

Emmett laughed. "England? I don't think so. They haven't been any good since before the last World Cup."

"But they are hosting," Jasper added. "Surely that counts for something."

"Yeah," Emmett snorted. "The embarrassment they will feel when they don't make it into the finals will be something."

"Okay," Edward interrupted. "If not England, who?"

"Wales," Emmett said with a decisive nod.

"Or Fiji?" Jasper suggested.

"You haven't even mentioned the Eagles," I said in the following thoughtful silence.

All three of them looked at me.

Edward sighed. "We would if we were talking about the bottom of the table teams."

"Pool D, Romania. Pool C, Namibia. Pool B, us. Pool A, Uruguay," Emmett supplied.

I shrugged and tried to lift the mood. "At least we get to play. I'm sure there are lots of countries that don't even make it. Is Canada going?"

"Yes they are," Jasper said with a nod.

"Did you see the world rankings though?" Emmett asked, a grin stretching across his face. "We are higher than Canada."

Edward laughed and nodded. "Yeah I saw that."

"Yes but who is on top?" Jasper asked with a proud smile.

Both Edward and Emmett rolled their eyes at him.

"It doesn't mean anything anyway," Edward said. "It will change by the end of the World Cup."

The food arrived and the conversation ended. Emmett had ordered two extra sides of chips which he said were for everyone to share, but then muttered something about women and stealing.

I laughed. Although he made it seem like he was protecting his own meal from poaching, it actually showed how thoughtful and caring he was. I could see Rose was pleased too by the small smile on her lips.

"Do you still want to try some?" Edward asked me quietly. He hadn't started eating yet.

I nodded. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all." He cut a piece off his steak and smeared some béarnaise sauce on it. Then he held up near to my mouth.

"Oh," I said. I hadn't expected him to feed me, I thought he would just put it on my plate. But I opened my mouth and carefully took it off his fork. It was delicious and I hummed happily. "Mmm. Thank you."

He smiled at me then turned to have his first taste. He hummed too and winked at me. I blushed, realising I was watching him, and turned to eat my meal.

There was a comfortable silence while we all ate. Alice and Jasper were sharing their food and feeding each other. Seeing their expressions were like watching porn so I tried to avoid looking their way. Rose and Emmett were almost fighting. She kept on trying to take his food and he was pushing her away.

"Stop it, woman," he said after she managed to take a chip from his plate. "Why do you need to take my food. Do you want me to starve?"

She hummed and leaned against him. "Would you like me to give you something to eat?"

His frown was quickly replaced by wide-eyed hopefulness as he looked at her face. What he didn't see was her fork taking the rest of his steak.

"Damn it, Rose. Next time I'm ordering two meals." He picked up the side of chips from the middle of the table and cradled it protectively in his arms as he pouted and ate the chips.

I giggled.

Rose decided to share the steak, offering Emmett bites in between her own. Emmett didn't share the chips and within a few minutes the bowl was empty.

Edward and I finished our meals at the same time. I smiled at him as we both put down our cutlery. "Do rugby players have diets to follow?"

He smirked. "Yes. The Eagles have a full time nutritionist on staff but she can't tell me what to eat for at least another month."

I chuckled. "Would she approve that meal?"

"Probably not. Too much fat. If I was being good I wouldn't have had the sauce and I would have had steamed vegetables rather than the chips."

I nodded. "All that meat is okay?"

He laughed. "No and chicken would be better. I definitely wouldn't be allowed to drink too." He lifted his glass and took a big gulp.

"You better enjoy it while you can," I said with a laugh.

He grinned and winked. "That's what I'm trying to do."

Rose and Emmett had finished their battle over food and they stood up. "Time for dancing," Rose announced.

We all stood too and followed her outside.

"Ladies, with me," Rose announced as we walked towards the car. "See you boys there."

She kissed Emmett and pinched his butt before strutting away. I followed and we waited in the car while Alice said good bye to Jasper.

"I thought you said you weren't with Edward." Rose was looking at me with a half smile.

"I'm not... We aren't..."

"Aren't what?" Alice asked as she got into the car with us.

"Bella thinks she and Edward aren't a thing," Rose said as she drove off.

Alice hummed. "If Bella says they aren't, they aren't."

Rose scoffed. "If you managed to stop touching Jasper inappropriately for one second you would have seen..."

She let the end of her sentence drift away and I shook my head. "Nothing... You would have seen nothing."

"He fed you..."

"I saw that!" Alice said as if she was triumphant in proving Rose wrong.

Rose rolled her eyes. "There was more. But if you're determined to stay in denial there's no point talking about it."

I frowned and was about to ask her what she had seen when we pulled into a park. Rose got out of the car quickly and I had to rush to keep up with her.

Then we were with the boys and entering the club and there was no more chance to talk. We walked into a small foyer with a coat-check and a gaming room through a door. There were cabinets of sports memorabilia lining the walls and I stopped to look. Through another door I could see a long bar with people crowded along it. Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper had already disappeared that way but Edward was standing behind me.

"I thought you might like to see this place..."

I looked back at him and smiled. "Yes, thank you."

"The owner of this place is obsessed with sport. The rumour is that he spends everything he makes on memorabilia. This is the Portland display." He led me over to the first cabinet by the door.

Behind the glass was a basketball with a label saying 'Portland Fire. WNBA 2003.' Next to it was a football with 'Portland Forrest Dragons. AFL 1998,' on its label. Another basketball had 'Portland Trail Blazers. NBA playoffs 1999.'

I turned to look at the next cabinet.

"You will like this one better... Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sonics, and Seattle Storm. The owner is from Seattle originally."

I studied the baseballs, footballs and basketballs behind the glass. There were so many and most of them didn't have labels.

"Most of them he collected himself," Edward explained. "Going to games and because he knows some players. The ones with labels he probably bought because they are balls from important games."

I nodded. I could see a ball labeled, 'Seattle Seahawks. Super Bowl XLVIII,' the year they won. Next to it was a basketball labeled 'Gary Payton. Seattle Sonics 1990-2003.'

I moved to the next cabinet and my eyes widened as I looked at the baseball mounted on a wooden stand, all alone behind the glass. "Joe DiMaggio?"

Edward chuckled and nodded.

The next cabinet was the same, one ball, mounted carefully. "Michael Jordan," I breathed, the glass fogging up in front of my face.

There was nothing but photographs in the next cabinet. All of them featured a short man at different ages standing next to various famous sportspeople. There was no pattern to the pictures. No obvious city- or state-loyalty. Just a proud display of how many famous people the man had met.

The baseball in the next cabinet made me whistle in appreciation. "Babe Ruth. How much did he pay for that?"

Edward laughed. "A lot I'm guessing. When that arrived, security cameras were installed too. Not long after that arrived too."

He was pointing to the next cabinet and the boxing glove signed by Muhammad Ali. I looked at the tiny scribble on the bright red glove. There was no way to know what it said so I shrugged and moved on.

The golf balls in the next cabinet made me laugh. There were just scattered around the floor, not mounted or arranged in any way. The label above them said they were Tiger Woods' but it didn't seem like they were very valuable. I had a feeling the owner would prefer to display a golf club but that wouldn't be an easy thing to get.

"This is an Eagles jersey!" I said at the last cabinet.

Edward nodded. "Yeah it is. I got it signed by the whole team last year."

I turned to him and grinned. "Did you have to tell him what rugby is to get him to put it in here?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. He knew. A little bit."

I smirked and looked back at the jersey with the illegible scribbles. "What if he buys a David Beckham soccer ball or a Wayne Gretzky hockey puck?"

Edward was trying not to laugh but I could see his mouth twitching. "Let's go get a drink."

I followed him through the door towards the bar. The club was very small, the long wood-topped bar taking up most of the room and a small dance floor filling the back of the space under a massive screen showing a music video. I stretched up onto my toes to look for Rose and Alice but couldn't see them despite the small space.

Edward saw me looking around and leaned in close to talk over the music. His hand was on my lower back and his mouth was against my cheek. "Turn around."

I did so and gasped. The club was actually four receding, tiered stories high. Each level was accessed by staircases against the walls of the building. They were all designed to be balconies over looking the whole club and the massive screen except for the top level which was like a box at the stadium.

"It used to be a movie theatre," Edward said, now pressed against my back to speak in my ear. "Emmett is waving at us on level three."

I looked up and saw Emmett in the dim light, his arm waving above his head enthusiastically.

"Would you like a drink here or up there?"

I looked at the stairs and made an easy decision not to carry anything up them. "Up there please."

He gestured towards the stairs and followed me through the crowd. I started climbing, being careful not to trip.

At the next level I stopped to look. It was furnished like a restaurant with small tables surrounded by chairs, candles, glass wear and cutlery. I could smell food and when a door was opened, saw a kitchen closed off under the over-hang of the next level.

We kept climbing to the next level.

"Wifey!" Emmett yelled when I got to the top step.

I laughed and stepped into his arms for a hug. "Hi, Emmett."

"Get off her," Rose said from behind him. She was holding two tall glasses of beer which she handed to Edward and I.

"Thank you," I said and followed her over to Alice and Jasper.

This level had several pool tables and other arcade games. Almost everything was being used by someone and there seemed to be people waiting too.

"We're next here," Alice said as I sat beside her on the couch. She pointed to the closest pool table and I nodded.

* * *

This place is based on my favourite club that was destroyed a few years ago.

I hope you will all take a minute to let me know what you thought about this chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

"We're next here," Alice said as I sat beside her on the couch. She pointed to the closest pool table and I nodded.

I watched the people on the table play their last few shots and sipped my beer. There were conversations going on around me but I couldn't hear anything above the music.

We all stood up when the pool table was ready for us and Rose said we were going to play boys versus girls. Emmett high-fived Edward and Jasper happily, confident they were going to win.

"I hope you can play," Alice said to me. "Usually we have to resort to cheating to win."

I laughed. "I can play but I'm not very good..."

We watched as Emmett broke and sunk nothing. Rose took the cue from him and managed to get a stripe in the corner. She jumped up and down in celebration and I saw most of the men in the room looking at her.

Then she missed and Edward took the cue. He spent a long time lining up his shot and glared at Alice who had started tapping her foot impatiently. He sank three solids and narrowly missed on his fourth shot.

He smiled as he approached me and held out the cue. I blushed and looked down as I took it from him. As I studied the table, I realised he had either lined up several shots for me or didn't realise where he had left the cue ball.

Before I started, I glanced at him and saw he was studying me, as if he was wondering if I could play. I bit my lip and focussed, determined to sink as many as I could to prove myself.

The first two were easy. Both stripes were in line with the corner pockets and all I had to do was make sure the cue ball was in a good position for the next shot.

The third wasn't so easy. The ball was sitting close to the side rail near the side pocket but not in alignment. I used the cue to line it up and took a deep, calming breath. The strike was good and I watched as the cue ball tapped the striped ball before rolling away. The stripe rebounded off the point and dropped neatly into the pocket.

Rose whooped and Alice clapped as she danced around the table. Emmett and Jasper had stunned looks on their faces. Edward was looking at me with a half smile. I shrugged and turned to see if I had another shot.

The only ball I could possibly sink was behind a solid. But I didn't really want to end the game too fast, especially before everyone had a turn. So I quickly shot the cue ball towards the solid and watched as it pushed the stripe slightly closer to the pocket but not into it.

Alice groaned in disappointment but gave me a hug as I walked away from the table. I sat between Rose and Edward to watch Jasper have his turn.

"I'm going to buy you a drink," Rose said. She was grinning. "This might be the first time we win legitimately."

I laughed as she got up to go to the bar across the room.

"You're good," Edward said when she had left.

I shrugged. "Not really. I missed that last one."

He snorted. "Missed? I don't think so."

I looked at him and raised my eyebrow. How could he know I fudged the shot?

He smiled. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. But I'm not going to go easy on you now."

"Good." I turned back to see Alice take the cue.

She didn't sink any balls and handed Emmett the cue with a pout. He managed to sink one and they only had one ball left which was right next to a stripe. The cue ball flew towards the two balls without any accuracy and he managed to sink our ball. Rose cheered and clapped as he shook his head and walked away from the table.

She took the cue from him and looked at our remaining two balls. Both were in awkward places and she seemed to know she wouldn't be able to sink either.

She called me over to consult. "What should I do?"

I hummed and pointed. "Just get the cue ball over there. That way Edward will have a tough time sinking their last ball."

She chuckled and gave me a quick hug. "You're evil and I like it."

I shrugged. It was what you had to do in pool. Either sink your shot or make it difficult for the opposition, or preferably both. I stood by her as she shot the cue ball up the table.

Edward was glaring at me as he stood up from the couch. I shivered as he approached and felt my cheeks warming.

"That was dirty, Bella," he said, leaning in close to me.

"Sorry," I said, regretting the advice I gave Rose.

He hummed, looked me up and down, and turned to the table. This time he took so long to line up his shot, Rose and Alice started talking about going down to the dance floor. Even Emmett wandered away to look at an arcade game. I stayed put, watching Edward closely, waiting to see if he could pull off the shot.

The cue ball eventually rolled down the table. He was trying to hit a stripe to rebound into his solid. It almost worked and both he and I groaned as the solid bounced off the point.

He turned to give me the cue and I bit my lip. "Good luck," he said as he leaned in close to me to get his drink from the table behind me.

I swallowed nervously as I stepped up. Alice and Rose were suddenly interested in the game again and Emmett had returned to watch.

Edward definitely hadn't left me any easy shots this time. One stripe was going to have to be hit along the side rail and the other was now blocked by the 8-ball, the same shot he had just failed to pull off. I took my time and sank the first. Alice cheered but I didn't look at my audience. I knew they would distract me and I was determined to focus.

Luckily I hadn't just sunk the first ball, I had planned for my next shot too. All I needed to do was hit the 8-ball just right so it tapped the last stripe into the pocket. I took a few deep breaths, leaned over and took the shot. The whole club seemed to go quiet as we watched the stripe fall first, followed by the 8-ball in the neatest fluke shot I had ever made.

Then I was squashed in a hug between Alice and Rose as they screamed and shouted. I laughed and hugged them back. All three boys looked shocked as they watched us celebrate but Emmett and Jasper came over to hug me and tell me I played well.

Edward stayed seated but he nodded when I caught his eye, acknowledging that I had beaten him well. I grinned at him, unable to hide my glee at surprising all of them.

"Let's go dance," Rose said. "Emmett, would you like to dance with someone in the winning team?"

He laughed and followed her to the stairs. Alice and Jasper went down next, leaving me to follow with Edward. He didn't say anything as we walked down but he placed his hand on my back to steady me.

The dance floor was full and I had to push through the crowd to get to Rose and Emmett. She had draped herself over him and they were swaying to music that wasn't supposed to be swayed to. Alice and Jasper were next to them, their lips pressed together, not dancing at all.

I turned around, wondering if I should go back and give them some privacy, but Edward was right behind me. He was already nodding his head in time with the beat and he took my hands. I smiled at him and swayed my hips, trying to get a feel for it.

Before long I was lost in the music, moving my body as I felt the song. Edward was still holding one of my hands as he danced in front of me. He lifted my arm and I spun around twice, laughing as I turned. I stopped and he was behind me, his hands now on my hips. I kept swaying even though I wanted to turn around to see him.

The song changed and the crowd around us surged. Edward pressed against me as people pushed us towards the wall. I held onto his arms as I stumbled but he wrapped them tight around me and kept me on my feet. The dance floor seemed to calm down and I had room to move but he didn't let me go.

"I love this song," I said, leaning back to speak in his ear.

His hum was just a vibration against my neck and he still had his arms around me. I started dancing again, my hips swaying and my hands up above my head. His arms loosened until just his hands were pressed against me, holding me against his body but letting me move.

Then suddenly he moved back, leaving just his fingers pressing hard into my hips. "I need a drink," he said with his lips against my ear.

I nodded and turned around to watch him push through the crowd. He went past Emmett and Rose and they broke apart. Emmett followed Edward and Rose came over to me.

"Hey, Bella," she said as she hugged me. "How's it going? Are you having fun?"

I nodded. "I haven't been dancing for ages."

She smiled and moved away, somehow creating a small space for us to dance in. A few minutes later, Alice joined us and we danced in a little circle.

Occasionally other people, mostly men who looked at Rose like she was their dinner, pushed into our little space but we ignored them and they moved on quickly or Rose would use her elbows.

We danced for a long time, until Rose announced that her feet were killing her. I nodded. My feet had been hurting for so long they had become numb.

We made our way off the dance floor and up to the bar. Rose ordered us three waters and we all drank them in one big gulp.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked. I didn't want to dance anymore and if we could choose something that involved sitting, I was going to be very happy.

"I want to go home," Alice said. She had been craning her neck to look around the club. "Can you see Jasper?"

We all looked around and up at the balconies but couldn't see the boys. Rose took her phone out and texted Emmett, asking where they were.

A minute later the reply came saying they were outside. The three of us went straight out into the fresh air and found them leaning against the building. Alice ran into Jasper's arms and told him it was time to go home. He didn't hesitate in saying good bye to the rest of us and they walked hand-in-hand down the road.

"Are we leaving too?" Emmett asked Rose with a hopeful look on his face.

She kissed him and nodded. "I will drive us all home. Are you coming?"

Edward and I both nodded and we all walked to her car. She drove quickly back to Edward and Emmett's apartment and just as quickly she disappeared with Emmett into his room.

That left Edward and I standing on the step.

"Do you want to come in?" He asked.

I looked at my car then into his apartment. "I should probably go. My feet hurt and I'm really tired."

"Why don't you just stay here then? I don't want you driving if you're tired."

I blinked slowly at him, unsure what I should say.

"You can have my bed," he said with a smile. "I will sleep on the couch."

I sighed, unable to find the energy to do much more than nod and follow him inside, let alone drive to my hotel.

He took me into his bedroom and started picking up clothes from the floor and bed, dumping them onto a chair in the corner. "Sorry about the mess."

I shrugged and took my heels off, groaning as my poor feet sunk into the blissfully soft carpet.

He opened a drawer to get out a shirt and handed it to me. It was a Portland Barbarians jersey, just like the one he had given me.

I laughed as I held it against my chest. "I wear my jersey every night."

He grinned. "I thought you might burn it. Are your allegiances changing?"

I scoffed and pushed him out the door. "No way. I don't wear it where anyone can see it. It's just comfortable."

I shut him and his grin out of the room and I took my dress off. Rose's bra went next and I pulled the jersey on with a happy sigh. Edward's bed was soft and warm and I fell asleep as soon as I was under the blankets.

I woke up suddenly with my back pressed against something and an arm draped across me. Sunlight was streaming into the room and it took me a few seconds to remember I was in Edward's bedroom. Then I realised it was him behind me.

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews! I hope you liked this enough to review again!


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up suddenly with my back pressed against something and an arm draped across me. Sunlight was streaming into the room and it took me a few seconds to remember I was in Edward's bedroom. Then I realised it was him behind me.

I heard his steady breathing stop and his arms tensed around me. "Oh shit," he muttered.

I giggled. "I thought you were sleeping on the couch."

"Sorry. I got up earlier, half asleep, and forgot."

I giggled again then bit my lip. His arms were still around me and neither of us were making any effort to move away. I decided to roll over to look at him and he quickly shuffled back so we weren't touching.

"Hi," I said and smiled across the pillows at him.

"Hey," he replied, his cheeks pink.

There was a long, awkward silence as I wondered if I could get back into his arms and if he would want me to be there.

But then he cleared his throat. "What are you thinking?"

I bit my lip. There was no way I could tell him I wanted to be back in his arms. He hadn't made any indication that he wanted any more than friendship with me and I was an idiot for thinking those things. "Uh... I've been trying to think if we've met before. I remember Esme from when I was a kid..."

He hummed. "I don't know. We probably have. Are you close with your aunt?"

Nod. "Yeah. We used to live on the same street. I was always going to her house."

"Me too. Renee used to have a bike in the garage for me to ride when we went over. I would ride around the streets for hours while she and Mom talked."

I grinned at him. "Me too. It was my old bike. Dad gave it to her when I got a new one."

He laughed. "I always wondered why she had a kids' bike but no children. I thought it was for me. Because she loved me." He rolled eyes.

I giggled. "She probably did love you. She has always loved kids and treated me like her own daughter, although she liked being free too much to have her own. I'm sure she felt the same about you."

"But probably not as much because I'm not family."

I shrugged. "Possibly. But I've always thought she and your mom were close like sisters. How long have they been friends?"

"Since school. Maybe about forty years."

"Wow." I said. "I remember Renee's fortieth birthday. She had big parties every year but I wasn't allowed to go until Dad said I was old enough. I was sixteen and it was the first adult party I had been to. Renee and Esme must have been really drunk. I watched them dancing all night. It was funny to me because they were the only ones dancing. Everyone else, all our family, were sitting around trying to talk over the loud music, not interested in partying and not having any fun. I think most of them are happy to indulge Renee once a year but they prefer dull, quiet dinner parties."

He laughed. "I think I was there. At that party. Was that the one when we had to dress as something starting with P?"

"Oh yes. I had forgotten that! I was a princess. Dad was a pirate. I can't remember anyone else."

He chuckled. "I was Peter Pan. Mom was a prom queen."

"Yes, now I remember. Renee was a pixie. She let me wear her wings at the end of the night."

He studied my face thoughtfully for a few minutes. "I wish I could remember you. All I remember is a group of girls, most in princess dresses."

I nodded and laughed. "Yeah, me and my cousins all wore pretty princess dresses. Mine was blue. I wish I could remember you. I don't remember seeing any boys dressed as Peter Pan."

He shifted to sit up against the pillows and I realised for the first time he wasn't wearing a shirt. His chest was just as hard and toned as I remembered it from the first time I had visited.

"I was nineteen so not exactly a boy."

I forced my eyes away from his body and coughed a laugh. "I was sixteen... I probably did see you but I was shy and would have most likely run away from the cute boy."

He smiled, looking pleased that I had called him cute. "Man..."

I giggled and felt my cheeks burning, just like they would have if he had approached me all those years ago. "Man. Sorry. What about her parties since? She does something fun like that every year."

He shook his head. "I moved to Portland when I was nineteen. I haven't been at any of them."

I sighed, disappointed that we hadn't crossed paths again. "You missed out. Renee has always been the wild child of the family. We've had a lot of fun."

He hummed and frowned down at his hands resting on the blankets. "Yes, I did miss out." He absentmindedly reached for the hand I had resting on the pillows between us and started playing with my fingers.

I shifted closer so my arm wasn't stretched, acutely aware of how close we were, that we were in his bed, and that neither of us were wearing much.

"Is your dad a cop?"

I looked back up at his face. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I met him once... That I remember. I got in trouble and Mom took me to see Renee. He came over to talk to me. I think they wanted to scare me straight. It worked." He chuckled as he studied my fingernails.

I grinned as my curiosity was piqued. "What did you do?"

His cheeks became pink and he was fighting a smile. "Just friends with the wrong people. Out late at night, underage drinking and smoking. We got caught tagging our school. Mom found spray cans and cigarette packs in my room."

"Naughty boy."

He looked at me and our eyes met. A slow smile tugged at his mouth. "Very naughty. Your dad—"

"—Charlie."

"Charlie told me about what sort of future I might have if I kept going. But he didn't have to work too hard with me. I didn't like what I was doing anyway. I just needed a nudge in the right direction. I stopped seeing that group of people. Then I met Jasper. He had just moved to Seattle from New Zealand. We joined a rugby club together."

"Ah. I wondered why you chose rugby."

He nodded. "I've always played sport. I played football and basketball too. I tried baseball but I wasn't any good. Rugby is my favourite. I just wish there were more players. Do you play anything? Apart from a mean game of pool that is."

I laughed and shook my head. "No. I've tried but I'm not very good. I've always watched sport and I wish there was more rugby on TV."

Nod and shrug. "Yeah. It's not on much. But in other countries it is. It's New Zealand's national sport. Australians love it. It's played all over Europe and Britain, although England aren't as good as they used to be."

I had no idea it was that popular in other countries. "Well, if it was popular here you might not be in the Eagles and wouldn't have opportunities to play other countries."

He looked at me with a shocked expression; wide eyed, open mouth. Then he frowned and closed his mouth. "What are you trying to say? Would I not be good enough for a fully professional team? Do you doubt my talent? Are you an expert? Would you not select me for your team?" He was grinning by the end, teasing me.

I laughed and held my hands up in surrender. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you would still be in the team. But captain..." I bit my lip to hold back my grin.

He huffed and rolled away so his back was flat against the headboard. But I could see his lips twitching and I knew he was fighting a smile. I shifted closer to close the space between us his move had created.

I sat up next to him, leaning towards him. "Sorry," I said softly. "You would still be captain. You're the best rugby player I've ever seen."

He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close for a side hug. "Thank you."

I hummed as I felt the whole length of our bodies pressed together. He didn't let me go and I found I was unable to speak. We were so close and I could smell him.

"That would mean more if you actually watched rugby, though." He was looking down at me and smirking.

I forced out a nervous laugh, hoping he didn't know what I was nervous about. "I have... Your game and I watched the All Blacks game in Chicago online too."

He chuckled. "Okay, that's slightly better if you're comparing me to All Blacks. But I know you're still learning about the game so I know you don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey." I poked him in the side, my finger pressing against hard muscle. It probably hurt my finger more than him.

But it made him laugh and squirm as if he was ticklish. But then he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close so I couldn't move to tickle him again. "Let's see if we can find some rugby to watch. I want you to tell me I'm the best again, but when you actually know what you're talking about."

He released me from his arms and leaned over to get his laptop from the floor beside the bed. I sat beside him and watched as he opened his internet browser and searched for rugby games. It took him a minute to scroll through and find one he wanted to watch. Then he leaned back and we settled on the pillows to watch.

The laptop was on his knees and it was hard to see the screen from where I was. I wanted to move closer but I wasn't sure about touching him now the jokes and teasing had finished. So I settled on awkwardly tilting my head and slightly leaning over.

"Can you see alright?"

I hummed, not wanting to spoil everything. I didn't mind not being able to see, I could still enjoy relaxing next to him.

"Come here." He lifted his arm, inviting me in against his side again. I tried to be careful and judge how close he wanted me until he pulled me against his side. We were pressed together from shoulder to knee and my head was on his upper chest.

We watched in silence and I tried to concentrate. It was very distracting being this close to Edward.

"What happened there?" I asked. The green team had kicked the ball down the field and a yellow player had caught it. But then play had stopped.

"He called for a mark. When the ball is kicked in general play and caught inside the twenty-two, the catcher can call mark. That means he can kick the ball back up the field and the opposition has to stay back and not put pressure on him."

I nodded and we kept watching until I saw a player being tackled. Rather than going down onto the ground into a ruck, he stayed on his feet and his teammates came in to push the group up the field.

"Why don't they do that all the time? It seems to be a good way to make some ground."

Edward hummed. "It's not easy. They have to be very strong and if you do it for too long, the referee will award a turn over and give the ball to the other team."

That was what happened. "Oh," I said.

I watched in silence until a yellow card was given to a yellow player. "What was that for?"

As we watched a replay, Edward explained, "that's a high tackle. You have to tackle below the shoulder line. He got him around the chin."

I whistled as I watched the penalised player almost taking the other player's head off. "That is dangerous."

Edward hummed. "Yes it is. There's been some pretty bad injuries in the history of rugby."

I wasn't surprised. The game was brutal and they didn't wear anything to protect themselves. As the game went on, I had to ask, "like what?"

"Concussion is the most common. But almost anything can happen. A guy in Australia was in a bad tackle last year, broke his neck and can't walk anymore. I've seen broken arms and legs. My shoulder has been dislocated a few times. But it's part of the game and we don't let it put us off. In the eighties there was a player called Buck Shelford. Half way through the first half of a game he was in a ruck and someone's boot ripped open his scrotum. One of his testicles was hanging out but all he did was ask the team doctor to stitch it up and he went back on to play. Later in the game he was concussed and they made him leave the field."

I shivered. "I would be too scared to ever play again."

Edward chuckled. "I guess he was lucky to get the concussion. He says he has no memory of that game."

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to forget what I had just been told. "I regret asking..."

He chuckled. The movement of his chest against my neck helped me relax and enjoy watching the game with him.

The half time whistle blew and the players left the field. Edward paused the video. "What do you think?" He asked.

I looked up at him and realised how close we were. His lips were right in front of my face.

I hummed and looked up into his eyes. What did I think about what? I blinked to see if I could organise my thoughts. "I think it's very entertaining to watch. I can see similarities to football. But it's much tougher. The tackles are just as hard but no one wears any padding or helmets."

He hummed and nodded, bringing his mouth closer to mine momentarily. "The players run more. There are no players just on the field to tackle. That means we don't want to be weighed down with gear. Even the forwards are expected to do some running, as you saw in the game. Anyone can be in a position to get a run at any time. I love getting out on the wing for a run."

"If you like to run, why aren't you a wing?"

"I was at high school but when I started playing at senior level I changed. I wasn't fast enough, anyway, I carry too much weight and I'm good in the breakdowns."

"Breakdowns?"

"The rucks. My job is to get in there and either secure the ball for my halfback or get a turnover — get the ball from the other team."

I nodded, remembering watching him do that, and get penalised several times, in his game. It seemed a big responsibility and a hard job, jumping into the roughest part of the game and scrambling around in the pile of bodies. He also had the responsibility of being captain. "It must be easier being a captain in the middle, rather than out on the wing."

He nodded. "Most captains are midfielders. I couldn't imagine having to direct the team from way out on the sidelines. Or having to see what's going on from so far away. I want to be in the thick of it all. That's the main reason I don't mind the change of position. I want to lead."

"Have you always been captain?"

"No. Never at school. Then I played for Seattle Saracens for a season but they had a young captain who wasn't going to give up the role for years. Portland's captain at the time was getting old so I changed clubs."

"Was that hard?"

He shrugged. "I had to do it to get what I wanted. It's turned out well for me though. After one season I was named captain."

"When did you get into the Eagles?"

"That same year. I was captain two years later."

"Wow, you must have been young."

He shrugged again but I could see pride in his expression. "Twenty two. Richie McCaw was twenty three when he was named captain of the All Blacks and that's a massive responsibility, much more than captaining the USA team."

I shook my head. He was trying to downplay how important he was but I could see through him. Maybe the Eagles weren't the best or most important team, but being a leader was important no matter the team. I had seen just part of the effort he put into leading — the articles he shared on Facebook and all the names he matched with that information. I was sure that his responsibilities were much more than just that and he wouldn't have been captain for four years if he didn't do the job well. "I think you're very talented and I know you're driven to succeed at whatever you want to do."

"Thank you," he breathed.

I stared at his lips, unable to pull my eyes away. In the back of my mind I noticed my heart was racing and I was only taking shallow breaths. My cheeks were burning as my whole body warmed up.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think of this chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

I stared at his lips, unable to pull my eyes away. In the back of my mind I noticed my heart was racing and I was only taking shallow breaths. My cheeks were burning as my whole body warmed up.

Edward lifted his hand to my cheek and brushed his thumb lightly over my cheekbone. He leaned forward, pulling me towards him, even closer than we had been. I placed my hand on his chest to keep from falling as our lips touched. It was a gentle kiss, no pressure, a soft brush of skin and warm breath.

Then he pulled back to look at me with a surprised look on his face. I stared back into his eyes, checking he wasn't reacting negatively, hoping for more. His eyes lowered to look at my lips for a second before he leaned in to kiss me again. More pressure this time. His soft mouth becoming hard as he pressed it against mine.

I reached up to put my fingers in his hair. Holding him to me, wanting to be closer, never wanting the kiss to end.

But it did and I sighed as he pulled away. He was smiling at me and I bit my lip shyly. It was damp and I could taste him. He leaned in and kissed me again. Our heads turned and mouths opened so we could get closer. I licked his lips and teeth, tasting him. He rubbed his tongue against mine.

His hand went to my waist under the blankets and he pulled me closer so I was lying on his hip. Our legs brushed together and I hooked my knee over him. Neither of us were wearing pants. I let my hand drift slowly down his chest and over his stomach to see if he was naked. On his hip, my fingers brushed over the waistband of his boxers.

His hand was wandering too. After pulling at my waist, it made its way lower, caressing my leg and hitching my knee higher on his. Then it went back up and over my panties to my lower back. He pressed me there, keeping me tight against his side as his hand went higher.

When his fingers made it to my hair he broke away from my mouth. "Fuck," he breathed with his lips against my cheek.

I hummed and tried to slow my breathing. But I was so close to him, still pressed against him, my leg over him and arms around his waist.

It didn't help that his hands were still moving on my back and drifting towards my front. I wasn't wearing anything under his rugby jersey and I wondered if that was having an affect on him. He must have realised as he explored my bare back.

"We shouldn't," he muttered. But the words didn't mean anything when he nibbled on my ear. "I want to but we shouldn't." Then he took his hands off my skin and I realised this was all too much too fast.

I hummed despite the frustration and pushed away from him to fall back onto the bed. We weren't touching any more but I was still burning hot. "Damn it."

He leaned on his elbow beside me, his face above me. Close but not touching. "Can we just take it slow?"

His eyes wandered down my body and stopped at my hips. I could feel cool air on my lower stomach and wondered if he could see my panties. But I was too hot to cover up and I wanted him to be as frustrated as I was.

He groaned after a few seconds and threw himself back onto the bed next to me. I turned my head to look at him and saw him reach under the blankets and shift his hips with an uncomfortable look on his face.

Seeing that wasn't helping me calm down so I looked at the ceiling. "I better get going. I need to check out of the hotel and get home to Dad."

He sighed. "Okay."

I got out of the bed, picked up my dress and Rose's bra and went into his bathroom. I didn't have anything else to wear. All my clothes were at the hotel except for what I had worn the day before which was still at Rose's apartment.

When I came out of the bathroom, Edward was also dressed. He had thrown on sleep pants and a shirt and was sitting on the bed waiting for me.

We looked at each other for a few long seconds and I could feel the tension and pull heavy in the air. I had to force my legs to move me out of the room.

Edward followed me down the hall and we stopped by the front door. "See you soon?" He asked.

I stopped and turned to look up at him. "I hope so."

He dived forward to press himself to me and we fell against the wall. His lips were hard and open against mine. I clutched at his arms and neck to pull him close and plunged my tongue into his mouth. We kissed desperately for several minutes until we had to stop to catch our breath. He stayed hard against me, sandwiching me between him and the wall, but leaned back a little to see my face.

I couldn't stop my eyes flicking sideways to look longingly at his bedroom. He knew what I was thinking and buried his face in my neck with a groan. But he wasn't going to give in to the lust. We were going to be good and take things slow.

"Bye, Edward," I said. My voice was steady and not full of wanting despite what my body was feeling.

He stepped back until we weren't touching anymore. "Bye, Bella."

He leaned in to kiss my cheek before opening the door and holding it for me. I forced myself to smile at him as I stepped outside. My heart was still racing as I drove away but I focused on the road and tried to clear my head.

The hardest part was not knowing when I would see him again. I had no plans to come back to Portland and he didn't have any reason to go to Seattle. Tears blurred my vision when I realised this and I had to blink hard to see.

It took me an hour to get to the hotel, shower and change, check out, and leave the city. Every part of me was desperate not to go but I knew I had to. Dad was expecting me home before dark and I had to work at a school in Seattle the next day. I knew that if I went to Edward, it would only get harder to leave so I had to do it now.

When I eventually got home, Dad greeted me at the door. "Welcome home, Bella."

I hugged him and thanked him. He had made dinner for us and asked if I wanted to watch the Seattle Sonics later. I smiled but said I was too tired after the long drive.

As I was putting on my Portland Barbarians jersey later, I received a text.

 **I hope you had a good weekend. It was great to see you again. E**

I laughed. It was either that or cry. He was so polite and all I could think about was our kisses.

 **Yes, thank you. I had a lot of fun. Bella**

 **Emmett says "hi, wifey."**

I rolled my eyes, wondering what they were doing and how Emmett knew Edward was texting me.

 **I say hi back. What are you two doing?**

 **Watching TV. Rose left a few minutes ago. You?**

 **Getting into bed.**

 **Hmm. What are you wearing?**

I looked down at my clothes and grinned. He was either flirting or he remembered I had told him what I wore to bed. **A special rugby jersey I was given.**

 **So Charlie hasn't found it and burned it yet?**

I laughed. **Not yet but I won't let him. I'm getting attached to it. I'm not sure I could sleep without it.**

He didn't reply for a few minutes and I checked Facebook. I hadn't looked at it all weekend and I had several alerts. Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper had all sent me friend requests and I accept all of them. Edward had been checking in all weekend, which surprised me because I hadn't seen him do that before. Each update said where he was and had me tagged, along with whoever else we were with. I liked them all and smiled happily at the memories of the two days.

 **I think I remember something... I met a boy at Aunt Renee's house once when I was about six-years-old. He was really mean and threw bark at me and my cousin.**

He didn't reply for a while and I wondered if he was busy. **Oh damn. Yes that was me. I'm sorry I was I little shit back then. I can't remember why I did that. I probably thought you were cute.**

I laughed. **I forgive you.**

 **I'm glad. Sweet dreams, Bella. Ttyl**

He definitely wasn't that mean boy any more. He had grown up to be a sweet, handsome man. **You too. X**

I put my phone on charge and managed to have the sweet dreams he had told me to have.

The next day I texted him as soon as I got home. **What a horrible day. I hope yours is better. I'm glad I had memories of the weekend to get me through.**

He didn't reply for almost half an hour and I was worried I had interrupted something important. I should have waited until later but texting him was another thing that had dragged me through the work day.

 **Poor thing. I don't know how you cope teaching teenagers. You're braver than me.**

I laughed. On a scale of bravery, teaching was a lot easier than the physical danger he put himself into when he worked.

 **Did Aunt Renee ever take you to McDonalds for her birthday?**

His reply was quick this time. **Yes! I remember that. She had heaps of kids there and bought us all a happy meal each. I'm guessing you were there too?**

 **Yes. She decided to take all the kids out to celebrate her birthday and keep the adult party for just adults. I wonder what was planned for the party that she didn't want kids to see?!**

 **Haha I don't think we really want to know.**

He was right. Aunt Renee was crazy and liked to have fun. She also liked to shock the rest of the family and would try anything to get them to have fun with her. That party could have had anything from strippers to naked jello wrestling.

The next day I waited until almost bed time before I texted Edward. He hadn't complained about the texts being too early the day before but I knew he was too polite to say anything. I had no idea what his schedule was and for all I knew he was in meetings every day preparing for the World Cup.

I decided to send him a picture of me in the rugby jersey. **Bed time** , I added in the text.

 **Very nice. But that bed looks empty. Could you do with some company?**

I chuckled at his playfulness. **Are you offering or should I get out my toys?**

 **Fuck. You shouldn't send me messages like that without warning. I don't need Emmett seeing my reaction.**

I frowned at his reply, wondering what I had said. I scrolled back to reread my text and realised he had misunderstood what I meant by toys. **I meant soft toys! A teddy bear to cuddle or something. What a dirty mind you have.**

My phone rang a few seconds later and I answered it with a giggle. "Hi, Edward."

"I'm so sorry."

I laughed louder at his pleading tone. "Don't worry about it."

"I feel like such a pervert. Please don't think I'm that sort of guy."

I hummed reassuringly. "I don't. But I might like to hear about your reaction..."

"Bella," he groaned, his voice deep and full of lust.

I took a deep breath and held it for a second, trying to suppress my own needs.

He cleared his throat and I could hear him moving around. "Do you remember when Renee went to England?"

I smiled at the deliberate change of subject. "Yes."

"Did you go to the airport to see her off?"

My smile turned into a grin. "Yes I did. Dad and I drove her there."

He chuckled. "I was there too, with Mum."

I laughed. "So we have actually known each other for years."

He hummed. "We have. Probably for our whole lives."

I smiled happily. "Well I'm glad we are friends properly now."

He was silent for a few seconds. "Yes, me too. Good night, Bella."

"Good night, Edward."

"Sweet dreams."

I hummed. "You too. Bye."

"Bye." He ended the call.

At lunch time the next day I got a call from the school in Portland saying I didn't get the job. They were very nice and complementary but ultimately their message was that I wasn't good enough. As soon as the call ended I burst into tears. Luckily I wasn't working that day so I could lie on my bed and sulk for the afternoon.

Usually I would go to Dad and Aunt Renee for comfort after a rejection. This time I had a quick talk to Dad, went to my room, got into bed and dialled Edward's number instead.

"Hi, Bella," he answered.

I could hear his smile in his voice and I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "I got a call. I didn't get the job in Portland."

"Oh, sweetie," his voice had changed to a deeper, sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

My inhale shuddered in my chest. "Yeah, I guess so. It's not the first time I didn't get a job." I was trying to be brave and downplay my feelings.

"That's what makes it hurt more though. One rejection hurts a little, ten hurts deep, and more can leave scars."

I hummed, unable to say anything. He knew exactly what was happening to me without me having to explain, or even say anything.

"Is there anything I can do?"

It took me a while to answer. He had already helped me feel a little better with his understanding and thoughtful words but I didn't know how to tell him that. "I'm going to sleep."

"Text me in the morning?"

I felt my mouth trying to fight through the sadness to smile. "Okay. Bye, Edward."

"Bye, sweetie. Talk to you tomorrow."

I ended the call and sighed. Talking to him had helped me relax enough to sleep.

 **Good morning, Edward.** I texted when I woke up the next morning. I didn't have anything more to say.

 **Good morning, Bella. How did you sleep?**

 **Alright. You?**

He didn't reply for a few minutes. I stretched and sat up in bed, wondering what I wanted to do today. That surprised me because I had felt like I never wanted to leave my bed again the night before.

 **Not bad. How are you feeling?**

I realised I was feeling okay and well on the way to being happy again. **I'm okay, I think I will survive this rejection.**

 **What are you doing today?**

That was a good question which I didn't know the answer to. **Don't know. Probably stay at home and read or do some housework. Really interesting activities.**

 **Haha. I've got to go to the gym for an early workout with the team then I have an important meeting to get to. Ttyl?**

 **Okay. Have a good day.**

 **You too, sweetie.**

I read his last text a few times. He had called me sweetie when we had talked on the phone the night before and he had done it again in the text. It made me smile and I felt the last bits of depression wash out of me.

* * *

Please let me know what you think of this chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for the slow updating. Newborn babies are very demanding!

* * *

I read his last text a few times. He had called me sweetie when we had talked on the phone the night before and he had done it again in the text. It made me smile and I felt the last bits of depression wash out of me.

My phone rang and I saw Aunt Renee's name on the screen.

"You didn't get the job," she said instead of hello.

"Hi, Aunt Renee. No, I didn't get the job."

"Are you okay? Do you want me to come over? I can bring ice cream."

I laughed. "I'm okay."

She hummed and I could hear she didn't believe me. "I'm still going to come over."

"Okay." There was no arguing with her, even if I had wanted to.

"Good. See you soon."

I jumped out of bed and had a quick shower. Aunt Renee arrived a minute later and pulled me into her arms for a hug.

"Why didn't you ring me?"

I walked away, knowing she would see the guilt on my face if I looked at her. "I was going to... Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Yes please." She stood across the kitchen and watched me. "You're taking this one very well."

I hummed, unable to tell her why I was coping differently this time.

"I guess that's to be expected. You didn't really want the job. It would mean moving too far away from your dad and the rest of the family."

"Exactly," I said with a nod as I handed her a cup. "As you said, Portland is a long way away and I'm used to being close to everyone."

We sat at the table and she was still watching me. "Did you have fun in Portland though?"

I nodded and hoped I wasn't blushing.

"Did you see Edward?"

I took a sip of my coffee to buy some time. "Yes," I said, unable to lie to her. "I went to his rugby game."

"And..." She prompted, wanting some gossip.

"It was great. It took me a while to understand what was happening. The game is a lot different to other games I watch. Did you know that it originates from soccer though? I think I understand most of the game now and I really enjoy watching it. The sports networks should show more games. With all the replays they manage to show, surely one could be replaced by a rugby game. I bet they won't though, even though there is a World Cup happening this year. Did you know the Eagles are playing? That's our national team, who will be playing other international teams, in a major worldwide event. But still no one in this country knows anything about rugby. But there is hope. Most Americans didn't know much about soccer a few years ago but it's becoming more popular. I guess it's mostly because of David Beckham and Victoria coming over to add some star power to the game. Maybe rugby could do that too. There must be a player out there who is glamorous enough, or has a glamorous wife, to put the spotlight on rugby. But for now I'm going to have to find other ways of seeing games. Online is best, I suppose. Maybe there is a way to livestream it. Especially the World Cup. That's important enough for someone somewhere to set up a website. I will google it later." I stopped talking to sip my coffee.

Aunt Renee was watching me still, now with a strange look on her face.

"What?" I asked.

She blinked, shrugged and smiled at me. "I was expecting sad, tearful Bella. Not happy, normal, obsessed with sport Bella."

I shrugged. "I just like rugby."

She laughed. "I think I got that. Just add it to the list of all the other sports you and your dad are crazy about." She rolled her eyes and took a drink.

I grinned, glad that I had stopped her asking about Edward.

"Well, I can see you're fine and I'm glad you're staying here." She stood up and put her cup in the sink. "I will see you soon, sweetheart."

I hugged her and waved from the front door as she drove away. Then I started cleaning the house because I had nothing better to do. Every room was tidy, vacuumed, and scrubbed by lunchtime so I made a sandwich and got a book to read in the sun.

An hour later there was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw a delivery man with a large bunch of yellow flowers.

"Are you Bella Swan?" He asked.

"That's me," I replied and took the bouquet from him. "Thank you."

I went inside and pulled out a card that was tucked between the flowers.

'To Bella.

I hope these make you feel a little happier.

See you soon,

Edward'

I grinned and buried my face to smell the perfume as I took them upstairs to my room. Everything was cleared off my desk so they could be on full display in Dad's biggest vase, seen from everywhere in the room.

I wanted to text Edward and thank him for the gift but I didn't want to disturb him in the middle of a meeting. So I settled on my bed to read for the rest of the day, periodically staring at the flowers, until I heard from him.

Just an hour later there was another knock on the door and I went down to answer it wondering if I would be getting another gift.

But this was even better. Standing on the doorstep, with a huge smile on his face, was Edward. I let out a happy scream and jumped into his arms.

"What are you doing here?"

He chuckled as he walked us both backwards through the door. "I wanted to see you and talk to you in person."

I kissed him on the cheek and smiled up at him. "What about your meeting?"

He laughed. "This is it."

I hit him gently on the chest and laughed. "You should have told me you were coming."

"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise..."

I wound my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "I don't like surprises but this is pretty great."

He hummed and leaned back. "How are you feeling?" His voice was serious and he held my face between his palms as he studied me closely.

"I'm feeling good. I've talked to Dad and Aunt Renee. And you of course."

He nodded. "Still sad? Depressed?"

I shook my head. "Honestly, no. There will be more opportunities and I have other things to focus on. Awesome things..." I smiled up at him, hoping he understood I meant him.

He smiled back and leaned down to kiss me. It was gentle and chaste, no lust or heat, just a gentle sign of affection.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?"

He shook his head and let me go. "No thank you. I had something on the way here."

I smirked. "Fast food? What will the dietician say about that?"

"What she doesn't know won't hurt me. As long as nobody rats me out."

I laughed and sat down on the couch, pulling him down beside me. "I will try to keep my mouth shut."

He hummed, his eyes looking at my shut mouth. I licked my lips in anticipation, waiting for him to kiss me again. His hand lifted to brush my hair back then rest on the back of my neck. The other was placed on my knee. He pulled me towards him as he leaned forward and our lips met. It started soft but before long the heat built up. I went from sitting beside him to straddling his lap without even registering the move. His hands gripped my hips and pulled me close so I was pressed against his chest then started exploring. He made his way under my shirt, fingers stroking my skin as he moved higher, palms pressing to keep me close.

I wound my fingers into his hair and took control of the kiss — turning his head so I could get closer and plunge my tongue further into his mouth. Our teeth clashed and I hummed an apology as I started to pull away. But he wasn't going to let me go yet. His hands were high on my back and he held me tight to stop my retreat. It didn't take much to convince me to keep kissing him. I leaned in and licked my way back into his mouth.

His hands, now that they weren't needed to hold me in place, had drifted around to my sides. The bottom of my bra was being firmly massaged by his thumbs as his fingers spread across my skin. He seemed to have stalled.

We stopped kissing and our mouths parted just slightly. The small space between us filled with warm air as we both struggled to catch our breath.

"Are we alone?" He asked as his hands retreated down to my hips.

"Yes. Dad gets home at about six."

He looked past me at the wall clock and suddenly his hands were gone. "In ten minutes?"

I frowned and looked for myself. "I lost track of time." I smiled as I ran my finger across his damp bottom lip.

I both felt and heard his sigh.

I pushed away from him and stood up to offer him my hand. "Come with me."

He smirked as he held my hand gently and lifted himself off the couch. I led him up the stairs and into my bedroom.

"This is my room," I said as I shut the door firmly.

He nodded and looked around. The posters of sports teams and sports stars were long-gone, replaced by more grown-up art and I was glad of that in this moment. I sat down on the end of the bed to watch him explore. He wandered over to my bookshelf and ran his fingers over the spines of my books before picking up one of the many autograph books. He flipped through the pages briefly before returning it to the shelf and moving on to the dresser. I had a large collection of framed photos, of my friends, family and holiday scenery and he took a minute to look at them.

Then he came to sit beside me on the bed. "They're nice." He pointed to the flowers on my desk.

I laughed. "Very nice. Thank you."

He hummed and smiled at me.

"How did you know where I live?"

"Renee..."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. And that's how she knew about the job."

He nodded. "Sorry. I had to tell her everything before she would give me any information."

"Everything?"

He grinned. "Okay, not everything. I said you texted me to say you didn't get the job and I wanted to send you a sympathy gift. She asked why, but I only said because that was the reason you had been in Portland."

I bit my lip. He had only said what was necessary and any more information would have been dangerous in Aunt Renee's hands. But that didn't stop me wanting to know what was happening between us, myself. "It was very nice of you. But you coming to see me..."

I left the end of the sentence hanging. I didn't know what to say. Was it too much? Did it mean more to me than him? What were his reasons for being here?

He held my face between his hands and our eyes locked. "I should say that I'm here to comfort you. That I was worried about you. And that's true, but really I'm here because I wanted to see you again and I couldn't resist taking advantage of any excuse to get in my car and drive here."

What an answer! I blinked and bit my lip. He leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips to mine. Way too softly and carefully for what I was feeling. So I climbed back onto his lap, pressed my body against his and opened my mouth for him.

My hand went into his hair again and he hummed as I tugged at the strands. His hands were tight on my sides but on top of my clothes. I leaned back and pulled my shirt up over my head. As I dropped it on the floor, his eyes lowered and widened as he saw me in just a bra for the first time.

"Shit," he breathed. His hands were still against my sides, fingers pressing into my skin and palms flat against my curves. He didn't move for a few long seconds as he stared at my body. Then he leaned forward, and brought me closer, to kiss the skin of my breast just above my bra.

I hummed at the feel of his soft lips and stubble on my warm skin. He kissed the other side and leaned back to look again. His hands had shifted upwards and his thumbs brushed across the underwire of my bra. Then he let go with one hand and reached up to hook a finger into the cup of my bra.

He started to pull it down but froze as we heard the sound of a car outside. "Your dad?"

I nodded.

He groaned and rested his forehead against my chest, dropping his hands at the same time. I held him to me for a second before getting off his lap.

"We need to go downstairs right now." I picked up my shirt and pulled it on.

He stood and adjusted his pants. As I went down to see dad, I smoothed my hair nervously. I had never brought a boy home before and despite being a grown woman, who had been in a couple of adult relationships, I was worried about Dad's reaction.

* * *

Please let me know what you think of this chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

He stood and adjusted his pants. As I went down to see dad, I smoothed my hair nervously. I had never brought a boy home before and despite being a grown woman, who had been in a couple of adult relationships, I was worried about Dad's reaction.

I ducked into the kitchen and gestured for Edward to sit at the table. I started getting out ingredients for our dinner and listened as Dad came inside.

"I'm home," Dad called as he hung his jacket.

"In the kitchen," I called back.

Dad came in and kissed my forehead. "Hi, Bella."

"Hi, Dad. This is Edward."

Dad turned around to look at Edward who got up from the chair to shake hands. "Esme's kid."

Edward nodded. "Yes, sir."

"We met while I was in Portland," I said to head off any questions. "Aunt Renee asked him to keep an eye out for me while I was there. Which was good because I don't know anyone else there and I don't know the city at all. Edward took me to his rugby game. Did you know, Dad, that Edward plays rugby? Have you ever watched a game? It's quite exciting to watch. I enjoyed it. He plays for the Portland Barbarians even though he's from Seattle. But he also plays for the Eagles. That's the national team. How cool is it that we know an international sports star! But not only does he play for the Eagles, he's the captain too. And captain of the Portland Barbarians but I'm sure he could be in any team he wants to be. Even the Seattle Saracens. They would be lucky to have him."

Both Edward and Dad were staring at me. Edward's cheeks were slightly pink and he was smiling. Dad's eyebrows were up and he was blinking slowly.

"Okay. Well. I'm going to finish making dinner." I turned away and lowered my head to start cutting vegetables.

"So. Rugby," Dad said as he sat in a chair opposite Edward.

Edward sat down too and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Tough game, that."

"It can be," Edward said with a nod. "But worth it to do what I love for a living."

"You're professional?" Dad asked.

"Yes, sir. And studying part time too."

Dad made a noise that sounded like approval. "You never know when you will get a career-ending injury."

"My business degree is my fall-back but I'm planning on playing for a lot longer."

"It's a World Cup year this year, isn't it?"

I looked up in surprise and met Edward's eye. I had no idea Dad knew anything about rugby.

"Yes, sir," Edward said and looked back at Dad. "In England."

"Do the Eagles have any chance?"

"Of winning? No," Edward said with a laugh. "Do you want to hear the official spiel?"

Dad huffed. "No. Give it to me straight, son."

"We have a chance of maybe scoring a try against two of the teams in our pool. That's about it."

"What teams?"

"Japan and Samoa. But only because out of the whole world, we play them the most and know them the best."

Dad was nodding. "Who else is in the pool?"

"South Africa and Scotland."

Dad hummed. "Not bad. South Africa will come out on top with Scotland close behind I guess."

"Yes, sir. That's what most people are predicting."

They were silent for a minute and I watched them as I cooked.

"It would be good to see a couple of the games," Dad said.

Edward nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm hoping some might be shown."

"It's unlikely though. Not when the game is so unknown here."

There was another thoughtful silence and I finished off cooking the food. I took their plates over. "I hope you like medium rare, Edward," I said as I put his steak in front of him. He had ordered it that way at the restaurant and I had remembered.

He smiled up at me. "Yes, thank you."

Dad thanked me too and I brought my plate to the table to sit with them.

"I'm going to watch the Cardinals game," Dad said. He stood up from the table and picked up his plate. "Are you two interested?"

I nodded. "When does it start?"

"In an hour. I'm going to watch the build-up."

"Okay. We will join you later."

Dad left the room and I waited a few seconds before turning to Edward. He was looking at me and I blushed. "Is the food okay?"

He reached out to brush his thumb over my cheekbone. "It's amazing. Thank you for cooking it for me."

"It's the least I could do. You came so far to see me..."

"Stray animals always come back if you feed them..."

I giggled. "Maybe I will find you something for dessert too."

His smirk fell slightly and I watched his pupils dilate.

I blushed and looked down at my plate. "Not that sort of dessert... Dirty mind."

He chuckled and I could hear the lust. We both picked up our cutlery and started eating in a charged silence. I thought about the morning we had spent in his bed and how we had agreed to take it slow. Were we still taking it slow? How slow did we mean? Was I willing to stand by our agreement?

"This is very good," Edward said as he ate.

I smiled. "Thank you. Would the dietician approve?"

He chuckled. "Yes she would. Not that I care. I would eat anything you give me and suffer any consequences."

I laughed and tried to ignore any other meanings that could be read into what he said.

When we had both finished, we cleared the table and went through to the living room. Edward placed his hand on my lower back as we went and I slowed down to enjoy his touch for a second longer.

I took the armchair opposite Dad, knowing that sitting with Edward on the couch would be dangerous. Edward must have thought the same thing and decided to sit closer to Dad than me.

The three of us watched the game. Occasionally Dad and Edward would discuss something that happened and we all cheered for each touchdown. I spent most of the time watching the screen but my eyes kept wandering to look at Edward. He was totally engrossed and I was able to watch him in the flickering light.

When the game finished, Dad turned to Edward. "Are you staying in Seattle tonight?"

"Yes, sir."

Dad nodded. "Are you going to your parents' house?"

"They are away this weekend. I was going to go to a hotel."

"No you won't," Dad said with a shake of his head. "It's too late for that. You can have the spare room."

"Thank you," Edward said. "I'm very tired after training this morning and driving here so I appreciate it." He stood up.

Dad looked across at me. "Bella will show you and help you get settled." He turned back to the television and turned the volume back up for the post-match analysis.

I stood up too. Edward went out to his car and came back with a small suitcase then I led him upstairs. We were silent as I opened the door to the spare room. He followed me into the room and looked around. I leaned against the wall and bit my lip nervously.

He looked at me and came over to stand in front of me. We weren't touching but he was close enough that I could feel the warmth coming off his body. He reached out and shut the door quietly without moving or looking away from me.

I stepped forward to press myself against him and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands went to my hips and I felt his fingers against my skin. A sigh escaped me as our lips brushed together.

One of his hands came up to grip the back of my neck and tilt my head to the side. He pressed his mouth against my neck and sucked gently. I arched my neck further, inviting him to explore, and he kissed everywhere between my shoulder and jaw. My hands were on his head and my fingers were in his hair. Not to control his movements but to ensure he stayed close.

He nibbled along my jaw line and sucked my earlobe before pulling away. The look on my face must have been encouraging because he crashed his lips against mine and pressed me back against the wall as our mouths opened. I clutched at his shoulders, neck and hair, desperate to be as close as I could and never getting close enough. He reached down and lifted my leg to hook it over his hip and flexed himself against me.

I moaned and pushed him away, using my whole body to move his weight. He frowned down at me as we parted but I smiled to reassure him. I took a fistful of his shirt and made him walk backwards to the edge of the bed where I gave him a little shove. He sat down and I climbed onto his lap.

He was smiling too now as I came back to pressing against him. Our mouths met and went back to what I had interrupted. With my legs straddling him and my centre open and pressed against him, I finally felt like I was getting closer.

I could feel his jeans pressing against my centre and I tried flexing my hips to rub myself on him. Everything was so sensitive and my back arched, pressing my chest hard against him, as I moaned into his mouth. His hands were suddenly gripping my hips and he was the one who had me moving again. His fingers pressed into my skin and guided my hips as they flexed towards him and back.

I gave up on kissing him. Before I had been breathless. Now I was gasping for air.

Our foreheads were pressed together and our breaths mixed between us. I put my hands on his shoulders and held on as I moved a little faster. He leaned back to give me more room and moaned quietly. He was getting as much out of this as I was.

My centre was wet and throbbing. The heat was spreading through my body. Every muscle was beginning to tense in anticipation. My back arched and the rubbing on my clit changed as my position changed.

"Fuck," I breathed as I felt the beginning of the last build of tension before release.

Edward moaned and pressed his face to my chest.

Our movements became frantic. My hips were thrusting and his hands were pulling at me to keep me going. I could feel sweat on my skin and I wasn't sure I was still breathing. Tingling started in my fingers and legs and the temperature went up another twenty degrees.

Then I felt the floating feeling. All the air in my lungs rushed out of me and I had no control over my hips. Edward's hand were the only thing keeping me moving now. My centre pulsed and I let out a long, happy moan as I came. It kept going and going, making my body twitch despite my tense muscles.

I came down slowly, just in time to see Edward's face tense and his eyes close. His fingers tightened on my hips but he was no longer keeping me moving. I took over and thrusted as he shuddered under me. Then he wrapped his arms around me and we were still.

I ran my fingers through his damp hair and listened to his breathing slow down. His ear was pressed to my chest and I wondered if he could hear my heart still racing. He sighed and I smiled happily.

"Fell better?" I asked.

He nodded and hummed. "That felt great."

I giggled. "Yeah it did."

He leaned back to look at my face and grinned at me. I brushed my lips across his.

"Do you need to clean up?"

He chuckled. "Yes I do. I'll be right back." He opened his suitcase and pulled out some sleep pants then went down the hall to the bathroom.

I waited a few seconds before going to my room. My Portland Barbarians rugby jersey was tucked under my pillow so I pulled it out and put it on. Then I went back to the spare room and got into the bed.

Edward came back wearing his sleep pants and carrying his jeans. He smiled when he saw me, shut the door and turned off the light. As he came across the room, he pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it onto his suitcase. I hummed to myself as I watched his muscles flex as he pulled back the covers and slipped into bed beside me.

I immediately shuffled over to cuddle against his side and he put an arm around my shoulders. I kissed his chest before putting my ear against it and letting out a contented sigh.

"Nice jersey," he said. I could hear his smile in his voice.

"Thanks. It's my favourite thing to wear to bed."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to tell me!


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you for reading my story and for all the reviews.

* * *

"Nice jersey," he said. I could hear his smile in his voice.

"Thanks. It's my favourite thing to wear to bed."

"I thought you were a Seattle girl? Are you a traitor now?" He reached over with his other hand to tickle my side playfully.

I laughed. "Don't tell anyone that I support Portland, I might get killed."

He chucked and kissed my head. "I won't let that happen. Your secret is safe with me."

I tilted my head back and he leaned down to kiss me.

He studied my face for a while and brought his hand up to stroke my cheek.

"Are you sleeping in here tonight?" He eventually asked.

I bit my lip and tried to read his expression. "Only if you want me to."

He kissed me again. "Of course I do. But what will your dad think?"

I didn't actually know what Dad would think. Who knew if he would even know I wasn't in my own bed? But I was a grown woman and Dad respected me enough not to burst in and demand I go to my own bed. If he did happen to notice, I would talk to him about it. Just not when Edward was around.

"It will be fine."

Edward smiled and nodded. "Okay. Goodnight, sweetie."

I stretched up to kiss him again. "Goodnight."

He shifted to get comfortable and I was rolled over and pulled back against his chest. I put the arm that rested over me up against my chest. We both let out a happy sigh and he kissed the back of my neck.

In the morning, Edward's legs were tangled with mine and his hand was holding my boob. I tried to move but he was a dead weight against my back and on top of me.

"Edward," I whispered.

He moaned and pulled me tighter against his chest.

I bit my lip to hold in my laugh. "Edward."

He didn't even move so I had to find a different way to wake him up. I reached down between us and pressed my hand against his cock. He was hard and so long my hand only covered half of him. I stroked him gently with a flat hand, desperately wanting to wrap my fingers around him to check his girth, but not sure I should be touching him like I was.

He hummed and pressed harder against my hand, rubbing himself on me now. "Bella. What are you doing?"

I giggled and moved my hand away. "Nothing."

He thrusted his hips a few more times, rubbing his length on my hip, then groaned and pulled away from me. "Shit. Sorry. I shouldn't be doing that."

I was finally free so I rolled over to look at him. His eyes were half closed and there were marks on his skin from the pillows.

"Why not?" I asked.

He groaned and buried his face in the bed. "I was half asleep and not in control of myself." His voice was muffled.

I put my arm over his waist and pulled myself over against his side. "There's nothing wrong with that."

He lifted his head and gave me a half smile before kissing me. "What's the time?"

We both checked our phones and he groaned as he dropped his onto the floor.

"I have to go. I have a training session in four hours."

I struggled to hide my disappointment that he had to leave so soon. "Do you have time for breakfast?"

He shook his head as he got out of bed. "I will get something on the way."

I watched as he gathered clothes from his suitcase and left to go to the bathroom. The shower turned on and I grumbled as I got out of bed too.

Dad's car was gone so I went downstairs in my rugby jersey to make breakfast for Edward. I put four slices of bread in the toaster and got out our selection of spreads.

I was just putting the second lot of toast on a plate when Edward came down. His hair was wet from the shower and I could smell soap and deodorant. He left his suitcase by the front door and came into the kitchen.

"You made me toast," he said with a grin stretched across his face.

I nodded and grinned back.

He came over and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his body. "Thank you, sweetie."

I hummed and stretched up to kiss him. "You're welcome. What would you like on it?"

He let me go and sat down to eat. I went to the fridge to get milk and juice. When I turned around I saw he had stopped eating to watch me.

"Everything okay?"

He shook his head and beckoned me over. I went to him and stood between his open legs. He reached up to brush his fingertips over the curve of my ass.

"This jersey doesn't cover much..."

I smirked down at him.

"You're teasing me." He didn't look upset at all, but rather had his own smirk. "I should have left by now. I'm going to get in trouble if I'm late."

I couldn't care less so I climbed onto his lap. "What will your punishment be?"

He hummed as his fingers traced the edge of my panties. "Laps of the field. Press ups. Sit ups. Deadlifts."

I played with the hair hanging over his collar. "You better go then."

He squeezed my ass gently but made no move to leave.

"When will I see you again?" My voice broke slightly, betraying my feelings.

He moved his hands to my face and brushed his thumb over my cheek. He was studying my eyes carefully. Possibly looking for the tears I was successfully fighting back. "I have an Eagles meeting next week in Denver. Would you like to go with me?"

I suddenly cheered up and gave him a genuine smile. "Yes please."

He smiled back. "I don't know any details about flights yet but I will let you know."

I leaned in to kiss him quickly. "Can't wait... But now you need to go."

I got off his lap and he let out a small sound of protest. I giggled and moved out of reach.

"Get your toast ready. I will be right back." I went upstairs to put on pants, not wanting to give the neighbours a show when I went out to say goodbye to Edward.

He was standing by the front door with a stack of toast and a pout when I returned. "Make sure that jersey comes to Denver."

I bit my lip and nodded before opening the door and following him out. "See you soon."

He put his things in his car and turned to me. "Text me and ring me lots."

I nodded. "You too." I glanced along the street to check we didn't have an audience and stepped into his arms.

He held me tight and kissed me hard. Then he let go to get into the car. I stood back and resisted the urge to get into the car too.

"Bye, sweetie." He said as he turned the car on.

"Bye." I waved as he drove away.

Later in the day I got a text from Renee. **I'm making you and Charlie dinner on Saturday. Come over at 7. xR**

Dad and I went to her house and she waved us inside with her usual excited greeting. Through dinner we chatted about everyday things. Then she brought out a chocolate cake for dessert.

"I got this recipe from Esme," she said. "Do you remember Esme, Charlie?"

Dad nodded. "Of course I do. How is she?"

"Very good. Carlisle is organising an overseas trip for their wedding anniversary. They are hoping to be in England with Edward. Do you remember Edward?"

It was like watching a car crash. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I could see the conversation slowly turning towards questions I didn't want to answer or lie to them about.

Dad hummed. "Nice kid. Doing well for himself."

Renee nodded. "Esme and Carlisle are very proud. I am too. He's like a nephew to me, almost as special as Bella. How's the cake, sweetheart?"

I coughed and realised I had forgotten about eating so I shoved a piece into my mouth.

"Bella met up with him when she was in Portland. Did she tell you?" Aunt Renee was looking at Dad so didn't notice me almost choking.

Dad nodded. "And she went to his game. It's such a shame rugby isn't more popular. But he's done well anyway."

"Yes. He travels all over the world to play."

"Bella is quite excited about knowing a professional sportsman."

Aunt Renee looked at me and raised her eyebrows. "Dreams coming true. Pity he isn't that Michael Cabaret you had a crush on."

At this my face blushed red hot. "Miguel Cabrera."

Aunt Renee laughed and nodded. "That's the one."

Dad was holding back his own laughter. "The poster she had on her wall..."

I held my hands up as if I was blocking their words. "Stop. Please."

They both laughed for a minute at my embarrassing childhood memories.

"I am glad she likes sportsmen, though," Dad said, getting serious. "Much better than singers or actors. Talent is more important than fame." He winked at me and I grinned back. "She could do worse than Edward."

There is was: the inevitable smashing, burning crash of a conversation I wasn't ready to have.

"This cake is really good. What makes it so rich?" I asked.

Aunt Renee was looking at me with a slight frown, stuck between two conversations.

"Did you use actual chocolate or is it just heaps of cocoa?" I was determined to steer her way from Edward.

She finally followed me down the new conversation road. "It has a teaspoon of coffee which apparently complements the chocolate."

I hummed. "It's very good. Can I get the recipe?"

Aunt Renee smiled at my complement. "Of course. Let me get it for you to copy."

While she was out of the room I turned to Dad. "Have you told her you're going to LA for a course?"

He shook his head and when Aunt Renee returned they talked about it. I sat back and relaxed, hoping I had avoided any awkwardness.

When we left, Aunt Renee hugged me and told me to call her. She didn't elaborate about what she wanted to talk about but I had a feeling she was a bit suspicious. Needless to say, I would call her with plenty to talk about that wasn't Edward.

I turned down all work for the following week so I could be free to go to Denver whenever Edward was going.

On Sunday night I got a call and ran up to my room for privacy. "Hi, Edward."

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

I sighed happily as I settled into my bed. "Good. How are you?"

"Good. I had a day off training today. Most of us are battered and bruised after the game last night."

I hummed. He had texted me this morning complaining about a pulled muscle in his leg. "I'm glad you're taking it easy. I don't want you to be injured..."

He chuckled. "Speaking of, I got an email from Nigel Melville, the president of USA Rugby. He wants me in Denver on Wednesday morning. We will fly out of Sea-Tac on Tuesday afternoon so I will pick you up Tuesday morning."

I was grinning happily now that I knew I would be seeing him in just a few hours. "Okay." I but my lip for a second. "I can't wait." My voice had become high and squeaky with my excitement.

He chuckled. "Me either." He sounded normal, or even huskier than normal.

I could hear the rustling of him moving through the phone. "Where are you?"

"At home. In bed."

I hummed as I imagined him there, wishing I could be with him. "Have you been in bed all day?"

"Most of it. I'm taking my rest day seriously. Food and other needs are all I've got up for."

"Good," I said quietly, glad he was looking after himself rather than trying to tough it out. "Did you not even get dressed?"

"No. I rocked boxers all day."

I bit my lip at the images in my head.

"Are you in bed yet?"

"Not yet. I will as soon as I'm finished talking to you."

He hummed. "Do it now. Put my jersey on..."

I giggled. "I'm going to have to put the phone down..."

"Put it on speaker."

I did so and put it on my bed as I stood up. He was silent and I didn't know what to talk about so I started taking my shirt off.

"Tell me what you're doing," he said after a few seconds.

I giggled. "Taking off my top."

He hummed and I heard the roughness of lust in his voice.

"Now my bra..." I said, playing along.

This time his hum was more of a moan.

"Okay my bra is off and I'm undoing my pants."

There was more rustling through the phone.

"The pants are gone. Just panties to go... There all off."

"Fuck," he muttered.

I hummed back. "I better get the jersey on before I get a chill from being naked."

He moaned loudly. "Yes. I would keep you warm if I was there."

"I bet you would. I wouldn't need the jersey at all..."

He chuckled, a deep, sexy sound. "Maybe you wouldn't but you could still wear it."

"Okay. I'm all ready for bed." I got under the covers. "How are you doing?"

"Slightly less comfortable than I was..."

I giggled. "Want me to take care of you?"

"I wish you could," he said with a moan and more moving noises.

"Are you touching it?"

He hummed a yes.

"With your hand? Fingers around it?"

"Yes," he said, the tension obvious in his voice.

"Tight?"

He hummed.

"Tell me."

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "I have both hands around it, at the base."

It was my turn to moan as I tried to picture something I had only felt through clothing. "What about the tip? Don't let it get neglected."

"Oh, shit yes," he muttered. I could hear him moving again.

"Does that feel good?"

"So good, sweetie."

"Keep going then." I pushed my covers off. My body was burning with lust.

"No panties?" His voice was strained.

I hummed. "That's right, no panties." My voice was low and rough too.

"Easy access for my fingers..."

I hummed and closed my eyes.

"Are you wet?"

"Yes," I said as I squeezed my legs together. "Very."

"How wet?"

I reached down and stroked through my folds. "Dripping." I moaned as my finger brushed over my clit.

"What was that?"

I spread my legs wider and collected the moisture on my fingers. "I touched something that's very sensitive right now."

He moaned. "Do it again."

I did so and moaned as my finger circled.

"Fuck, yes. Keep going, sweetie."

I lifted my jersey up with my other hand. "My nipples are so hard."

"Oh shit. Rub them for me... Squeeze them..."

I followed the instructions and arched my back with a moan as my centre reacted. With fingers on my clit and nipples I wasn't going to last long. "Fuck," I muttered. "So close."

He hummed then we were silent for a minute, just rustling sounds of movement coming through the phone.

"I'm going to..." His sentence was cut off by a long moan.

I listened to him coming with my eyes closed, picturing his face in my mind. "Feel good, honey?"

He hummed. "So good."

I gasped as I pinched my nipple hard and felt my centre throb against my fingers.

"Yes," he hummed to me. "Keep going, sweetie. Come for me."

My back arched as my whole body responded to his words. A long low moan came out of me as my body tensed and I felt the floating sensation start. "Yes," I hissed as my centre pulsed through my orgasm.

When I could finally relax back against my pillows I sighed happily and picked up my phone. "Thank you, honey."

He hummed. "No, thank you. I can't wait until Tuesday..."

I bit my lip, wondering if he was thinking what I was. That we would have sex in Denver. I thought it was a good time to do it. Although we only officially met recently, we actually had known each other for years. What I knew about him so far was encouraging too. He was kind and thoughtful and I was confident he wouldn't hurt me.

"Me either," I whispered.

"Good night, sweetie."

"Good night."

"Sweet dreams."

I hummed knowing I was so relaxed now I would sleep very well. "You too."

He chuckled. "Bye."

"Bye." I ended the call and sighed happily again as I snuggled under my covers to sleep.

* * *

Please take a second to tell me what you thought of this chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

On Tuesday morning I repacked my bag for the fifth time, second guessing what I needed to take to Denver and ending up putting the same things in as I had every other time. I giggled nervously to myself as I looked over the half of my bag that was just lace, silk and other materials that were for Edward's eyes only.

Then I sat by the window to wait, trying but failing to read a book. Eventually Edward's car arrived and I waved as he walked up to the house. He waved back and a huge smile stretched across his face.

"Hi," I said as I opened the door for him.

"Hi, sweetie. You look gorgeous."

I blushed and smoothed my hands down over my dress. "Thanks. You do too."

He was wearing just a simple white shirt and jeans. It was him that was gorgeous with his messy hair, broad shoulders and smile.

He pushed the door closed behind himself and reached for me. I stepped into his arms and sighed as I relaxed against his hard chest.

"How's your leg?" I asked.

His hands were stroking my back, warm against my bare skin. "Almost better. Scans showed nothing wrong so I've just had to rest it and wait."

I looked up at him. "And have you been following those instructions?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes I have. I didn't want to ruin our time together. I've stayed off my feet at training, working my upper body only."

I hummed and ran my hands up his arm and into his shirt sleeves to his shoulders. His muscles were toned and hard under my palms.

He was watching me and our eyes met when I looked back up at him.

"Kiss me," he said, his voice low and rough.

I shivered as I stretched up to press my lips against his. He held me tight, pressing me against his body with his hands flat against my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck just as tight and opened my mouth for him.

His tongue swept across my bottom lip and around to rub against mine. I moaned a little at the taste of him. He moved a hand up into my hair and the other fell to cup my butt.

Then he stopped and pulled his mouth away from me. "Are we alone?"

I giggled and nodded. If we weren't, I wouldn't have let him kiss me like that. "Yes. Dad is at work."

Edward hummed and leaned in to kiss my neck. "Does he know where you're going today?"

"Yes. He told me to have fun."

Edward hummed against my skin. "Fun? With me?"

I giggled. "Yes. He knows about us."

Edward backed off to look at me but kept me pressed against him. "How did that go?"

I shrugged. "Fine. He noticed I wasn't in my bed when you stayed so I had to tell him where I was. He frowned a bit about it, mostly because I'm still his little girl and he doesn't want to think about me doing... grown up stuff. But then he said that he likes you and that you're a good man from a nice family. He added something about his gun but that's standard."

Edward chuckled. "Okay. Apart from the gun bit, I'm glad he's okay with me doing... grown up stuff with his daughter."

I blushed and giggled with my face hidden again this chest. "You know what I mean."

He chuckled and stroked my hair. "Yes I do. Shall we get going?"

I nodded and reluctantly stepped out of his arms to get my suitcase. He took it from me immediately and stood aside as I locked the house. We walked to his car and he drove us to the airport. After we checked in, we sat at a cafe to wait.

"Why are we flying out of Seattle not Portland?" I asked as I watched the departure and arrival boards.

He shrugged. "I would have but I decided to come here instead of getting you to drive to me."

I smiled at his sweet thoughtfulness. "Thank you."

He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "It was no problem. I just let the bosses know what I wanted and they organised it."

I bit my lip. "You're very important."

He nodded and winked. "I'm the captain."

I laughed and leaned closer. "What happened to modesty? You were coy about it when you first told me you were captain of the Barbarians. And I had to find out you were captain of the Eagles by reading articles online."

He laughed but I could see some pink on his cheeks. "I wondered how you found out. Did you Google me?"

I slapped his arm. "I did not Google you. I was reading about rugby."

He smiled warmly for a few seconds. "I love that you're interested in rugby."

I shrugged. "It's a good game. I enjoy it."

He smiled at me some more before leaning in to hold my face in his hands. I went to him and he kissed me quickly. "I'm so happy you're coming to Denver with me."

We boarded the plane holding hands and he kept close to me for the whole flight. There was a movie showing but I wasn't interested in it. After five minutes I put my head on his shoulder and got my phone out to listen to music.

Edward pulled one of my earbuds out and put it into his own ear. I smiled up at him as he leaned in close.

"Rhianna?" He asked and took my phone from me. "Let's find something good to listen to."

I watched as he scrolled through my music. It was mostly top 100 chart pop from the last couple of years. He wasn't interested in any of it but found Bohemian Rhapsody hiding amongst it all.

"Now this is a good song."

I laughed and we relaxed against each other to listen. When the song finished, he scrolled through my songs again before pulling out his own phone. He unplugged mine and put my earbuds into his. Then he pressed shuffle, confident that anything on his list would be good.

Oh What a Night by Billy Joel started playing and I had to concede that it was a good song. But I took his phone anyway to see what else he had. Most of it was rock from the late 80s and early 90s. There were a lot of power ballads which suited a rugby player. I found myself smiling as I recognised the titles and artists on the list from Dad's collection and the music that a lot of nightclubs played. I handed his phone back, content to leave it on shuffle.

Two songs later, Bohemian Rhapsody started and we laughed. He leaned down to kiss me with a big smile on his lips. I kissed him back before settling my head against his shoulder and sighing happily.

When we landed, Edward woke me up by stroking my face. "Wake up, sweetie. We're here."

I stretched and rubbed my eyes. I hadn't realised I was so tired but I should have known I would be after an over-excited sleepless night.

In the terminal, I followed him over to a man who smiled and waved when he saw us. Edward shook hands with him before turning to me. "Bella, this is Nigel Melville, the president of USA Rugby. Nige, this is my partner, Bella."

I shook the man's hand too, desperately trying not to react to Edward calling me his partner. "Nice to meet you."

Nigel smiled. "You too. Let's get out of here."

Edward put his hand on my lower back as we walked and bent down to whisper to me. "Sorry, sweetie. I should have warned you... They pay for partners to travel with players."

I looked up at him and nodded. "It's okay."

We had to wait for our bags and he put his arm around me.

I looked up at him and asked a question that had been tumbling around in my mind for over a week. "So, what am I then?"

He frowned down at me.

I bit my lip and looked at his chest. "If not your partner..."

He put his fingers under my chin and lifted my face. Our eyes met and he opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated and closed it. He leaned down and kissed me gently to buy time. Staying close to my face he whispered, "Girlfriend?"

I smiled and nodded. That was what I had been feeling but it was good to finally have it said.

He grinned at me as if I had made his day. Our bags had arrived and he picked up both. Nigel showed us out to his car and we drove across the city.

As we drove, Nigel and Edward talked about the meeting. There were a lot of names mentioned that I had never heard of but Edward was nodding. Nigel said something about team selection but glanced at me in the mirror and didn't elaborate. It must be top secret information that was only for important people to know.

At the hotel we said goodbye to Nigel and went to check in.

"Room for Edward Cullen," Edward said to the girl behind the desk.

She smiled and looked at her computer. "Yes, here we go. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, I will show you to your room."

We followed her through the lobby.

I looked up at Edward and grinned. "I've gone from partner to wife in one car ride."

Edward chuckled. "Emmett would be sad."

I laughed.

The girl showed us into the room and handed us a swipe card each. Then she left us alone. I looked around at the small living area with couches, a television and a small kitchen. Through one door was a bathroom and through the other door next to it was the bedroom.

I took my suitcase and put it in the corner of the bedroom before looking at the bed. It was big and soft looking with blankets and pillows piled on it. I was tempted to get into it and go to sleep.

Edward came in and stood next to me. "Sorry. I didn't ask for separate rooms."

I laughed. "Why would you?"

He turned to face me, looking a little shy. "I didn't know if you would want to share."

"Of course I do." I wrapped my arms around him and stretched up to kiss him.

His hand went to my lower back to press our bodies together. I put my fingers into his hair and pulled to tilt his head as I opened my mouth. Our tongues rubbed together.

One of his hand brushed down over my butt and explored the hem of my dress. His skin against my bare leg made warmth spread through my body. He lifted my leg to hitch it on his hip and his hand explored down my thigh, over my knee and down my calf before returning to my hem.

By now I was feeling a little faint from lack of oxygen and the heat inside me so I pulled away from his mouth. He wasn't ready to stop though and his mouth moved from mine to my cheek and then to my neck.

I hummed as he lifted my dress slightly to feel my panties. He replied with his own hum against my skin. His fingers were tracing the lace edge across my cheek towards my centre.

"Edward," I said, my voice more of a moan that a word.

He gave me one last sucking kiss before moving back to look at my face.

"Do you mind if I take a minute to freshen up?"

He smiled and loosened his hold on me. "Sure."

I stepped back and blushed as he adjusted himself in his jeans. We were so close to finally having sex. I was going to have him inside me. He was going to see me naked and touch me where I was throbbing at just the thought of it.

I quickly turned and walked into the bathroom. Yes, I wanted to freshen up, but I also needed to compose myself and possibly have a pep talk to calm my nerves.

I splashed cold water on my face and my chest. Then I did my arms, rolled my eyes in amusement at myself washing in the sink and striped off my dress and underwear. I got into the shower and scrubbed my whole body thoroughly with the little hotel soaps.

I stepped out and wrapped one of the huge fluffy towels around my body and realised I hadn't brought any clothes in with me. I had been to flustered and, I had to be honest with myself, burning with lust, I hadn't even thought about fresh clothes. Dressing in the same stuff would defeat the purpose of having a shower so I was going to have to go out in just the towel. My cheeks heated up as I looked at myself in the mirror. Going out there in just a towel would be a tease to Edward. But I was sure that's what he wanted. We were guaranteed to both be naked before long and I was just making it all a little easier. I didn't want him to think I was easy, though. Parading around in a towel might give him the wrong impression. Maybe I should ask him to bring me some clothes from my suitcase. I shook my head. We were here together and I knew we would be having sex. I wanted it. Bad. Probably it should wait until later, maybe after a nice dinner and a walk around Denver rather than as soon as we get to our hotel room.

But I didn't want to wait. And I had a feeling I didn't have the self control to wait. So I opened the bathroom door.

Edward was sitting on a chair across the room. His head had been bowed but he lifted it to look at me. I bit my lip as I held the end of the towel to my chest.

He stood up and followed me into the bedroom. Neither of us spoke but I could feel the tension in the air between us.

* * *

Please tell me what you think of this chapter!


	17. Chapter 17

Edward was sitting on a chair across the room. His head had been bowed but he lifted it to look at me. I bit my lip as I held the end of the towel to my chest.

He stood up and followed me into the bedroom. Neither of us spoke but I could feel the tension in the air between us.

At the end of the bed I stopped and turned around. He stood just a step away from me with his eyes roaming my body.

"When is your meeting?" I asked, desperate for something to cool us down.

"Tomorrow morning." His eyes rose up and settled on my face.

"What do you want to do tonight?"

He licked his lips and stepped forward to almost press against me. My arms went up to his shoulders, forgetting about the towel. He looked down at my boobs, the material only just clinging to them. His hand reached up between our bodies and pulled at the corner of the towel I had let go of. It fell to the floor and I bit my lip as I stood naked before him.

"Beautiful," he muttered as he looked down at my exposed boobs.

I sighed happily, glad he liked what he saw.

He kissed me and guided me with his hands on my back and hip to lie down on the bed. Then he stood up to look down at my whole body.

I watched as his eyes looked me over, pausing occasionally and growing dark as his pupils dilated. He reached out to brush his fingertips lightly down my thighs and I shivered.

"Cold?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Far from it."

"You like me touching you?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Very much."

He smirked and leaned down to kiss just below my navel. I hummed in anticipation, hoping he was going to keep going. More touching and more heat. He walked his hands up the bed, either side of my body, until he was arched above me, held up on his hands and knees. He kissed my lips quickly before moving his mouth to kiss my cheek, then my jaw, and down to my neck. Several kisses were placed on my neck and he ran his teeth over a sensitive spot.

I moaned softly as I stretched my chin out further to give him room to explore.

He chuckled and moved down to kiss my collar bones. "Your heart is beating fast."

I hummed and hoped he understood the 'of course it is' I couldn't verbalise at that moment.

"Good or bad?" He asked.

He had stopped moving. I had to reassure him if I wanted any more and I was desperate for it. "Good," I said as I pushed his face back down against the upper swell of my boobs.

He chuckled and kissed his way down the centre of my chest. Then he stopped again. I was about to protest when I opened my eyes and saw he was looking at my nipple. He glanced up at me as he licked it gently and blew warm air across the damp skin. I pushed my chest up and moaned as his mouth covered me. His tongue worked my hardening nipple and I desperately clutched at his hair.

"Fuck," I gasped. I felt drops of sweat forming on my forehead.

He let my nipple pop out of the suction in his mouth and turned to do the same on the other. I squeezed my legs together as the tension and heat built up inside me. I wanted the release I could feel coming but I knew it was far away with a lot of pleasure to come first.

Edward gave me a short break to recover and slow my breathing and heart race as he kissed my stomach. I wondered what he was thinking. My stomach was not completely flat, so different from his toned, rippling with muscles one.

"Soft," he muttered.

This confirmed my fears and I reached down to cover myself. "Sorry. I don't do enough exercise." My cheeks were now burning in shame.

He pulled my hands away and pushed them down firmly to the bed either side of me. "Don't, Bella. I love your body."

I made a noise of protest but was stopped from speaking by his lips on mine.

He pulled back and looked in my eyes. "Do you want to know how much I love your body?"

His smile disarmed me and I nodded tentatively back.

Then he was up, standing at the end of the bed by my knees. I propped myself up on my elbows to see him better.

His hand went to his crotch and he pulled at his jeans. My eyes were fixed on the bulge under his fly. He started unbuttoning his pants and I watched with wide eyes as he pushed them down and stepped out of them. Underneath he was wearing tight boxers with Jockey printed on the waistband. I could see the outline of his considerable length as it pressed against the stretchy fabric. He brushed his hand over it, pushing it down, only for it to spring back up as soon as he moved his hand away.

"See?"

I nodded, still mesmerised by the sight of him so hard.

"Do you doubt how I feel about you?"

I finally managed to look up at his face with his dilated eyes and darkened lips. I shook my head.

He nodded, satisfied that I had understood his message. Then he went back to kissing my stomach. "This fucking sexy body only makes it worse," he muttered. "Like I'm a teenager again, making a mess in my pants."

I bit my lip, realising what he was saying. He was hard for me as a person, who I was and my personality. He wanted me, not just my body. Touching and sex was an added bonus that made him lose control.

He was now kissing my lower stomach and the anticipation was quickly building again as he got closer to my centre. I resisted the urge to grab him and force him where I was dripping for him. It would come, hopefully before I was burned to a crisp from the inside.

His mouth moved to my thigh and I couldn't stop myself from pushing my hips forward desperately. I moaned as I did so and felt how wet I was.

He rose up and I looked down my body. His eyes were fixed on my centre. I pushed my hips up further, trying to close the gap between us. With a hand on each of my thighs, he spread my legs and kneeled between them. He studied my centre for a few long seconds before reaching forward with a finger. His touch was gentle and I barely felt it but I still gasped. Sweat was beading on my forehead and between my boobs. My whole body was throbbing along to my racing heart.

Then he ran his finger through my folds, pressing harder this time.

"Fuck," I moaned. My back arched up off the bed and I spread my legs more for him.

He hummed in reply. His eyes flicked up to meet mine for a second before returning to watch his fingers and my centre.

Slowly and much to gently, he pushed one finger inside me, easing it in even though I was wetter than I had ever been before.

"So warm," he whispered as he added a second finger. "And wet."

I hummed.

He pumped his fingers slowly into me a couple of times. My legs spread as far as they could go and I moaned loudly. Then I felt the pressure of his thumb in my clit.

It was like every kiss and touch he had given the rest of my body had traveled through me into my clit. It was swollen and sensitive as if it had been rubbed for hours. I let out a hiss and pressed my head back hard into the bed.

Then he started circling his thumb and pumping his fingers and I was lost. The only part of me that existed was between my legs. My clit was throbbing and the muscles around it tightened. Edward's fingers pulled and pushed at me, winding up an orgasm so sweet and earth-shattering I wasn't sure I could handle it.

"Edward," I called. "I'm going to..."

He heard my plea and moved to wrap his unoccupied arm around me, under my arching back. His mouth pressed against the corner of mine. I filled my lungs one last time and held it as the earth fell out from under me and I floated free from everything but Edward's hard body pressed against me and his fingers pumping inside me.

Eventually I returned to myself, feeling like a warm puddle on the soft bed. Edward was stroking my hair and kissing the corner of my lips. I turned my head and our mouths pressed together.

I could breathe properly again and I was slowly turning back into my solid body. I rolled over on top of Edward and grinned down at him.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

I laughed and kissed him, feeling a little silly after my orgasm.

He was still very hard and I could feel him pressing against my stomach. It was my turn to look after him.

I pushed myself up to sit on his legs. Slowly I let my eyes move down his body to finally rest on his cock. It moved as if I had touched it and I bit my lip.

I had been with three men, none of whom came close in size to Edward. He was very big and I couldn't help feeling intimidated. But I shook it off and reached out to brush a finger lightly down his length and over his head. He was circumcised and I could see every ridge pressed against his underwear. It twitched under my finger and I looked up to see his eyes squeezed shut.

I smiled, pleased that I had that affect on him and hooked my fingers into his waist band. He lifted his hips as I pulled his underwear down and I smiled at him. His eyes were open now and fixed on my face.

I looked back down and held back a gasp. He looked even bigger now that he wasn't restricted by tight fabric. His cock was long and hard resting on his stomach. I reached out and traced a vein from just under his head down the length.

He moaned quietly but had a frown when I looked up at him.

It was my turn to reassure him. "You're so big," I whispered. I crawled up his body to kiss him. "And fucking sexy."

He chuckled and I felt him relax under me. Before I went back to exploring, I pulled his shirt up over his head so we could be naked together. I backed down his body and traced a finger over his chest and stomach. His muscles were hard and warm and I kissed each of his lower abs.

He gasped. I was so close to his cock but not touching.

I didn't tease him any longer. With both hands, I lifted his cock and wrapped my fingers around it. He hissed his pleasure. I smiled as I pumped my fists slowly up to his head and back. He arched off the bed and moaned loudly.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Don't stop."

I did it again and watched as a bead of moisture formed on the tip. My thumb flicked over him and spread the precum as I kept moving my fists along his length.

A minute later, his hands were suddenly on my shoulders and I was lifted up to lie on his chest. Our mouths crashed together and tongues tangled for a few seconds.

Then he pulled away with a groan. "We need to stop."

I pouted down at him. "Why?"

He kissed my bottom lip with another groan. "Because you're going to make me come."

I grinned, pleased with myself. "So what?"

He rolled until I was pinned underneath him. "I don't want to yet." He put his face down into my neck. "And not as quick as some stupid teenager." The last part was muttered against my skin as if he was talking just to himself.

"It would be a complement," I said as I stroked his hair. "That I could make you come that quickly."

He groaned and shook his head, still not moving his face from my neck. But the rest of his body lifted and a knee was pressed between mine. I spread my legs for him and he settled down with his length pressed flat against my centre. I wrapped my legs around his waist and sighed as his hard met my wet.


	18. Chapter 18

I wrapped my legs around his waist and sighed as his hard met my wet.

He flexed his hips and rubbed himself through my folds. He pressed into my clit before retreating. I reached down to press a hand to his lower back, encouraging him to do it again. He did and this time I moaned at the pressure on my most sensitive part. Again he flexed, and kept going until I was gasping and scratching at his back.

"Shit, Bella," he said, his mouth pressed against my cheek and his voice a low growl. "Please let me inside you."

"Yes," I breathed. I impatiently arched my back to push him up off me.

He backed up to make space between us and I reached down to his cock. He watched my hand as I took him in my fist and placed his head at my entrance.

He was breathing hard but keeping control of himself because he didn't move, even when I let go. I pressed my heels into his back, prompting him to push forward before I died from frustration and need.

He came back down to kiss my lips gently. "Sure you're ready?"

I nodded and kissed him again. Slowly the pressure built as he pushed his cock into me. It was slow and agonising.

"Breathe, sweetie," he said.

I gasped in some air. "Fuck," I muttered.

"Hurt?" He asked.

I opened my eyes and saw he was studying my face. I shook my head and pressed my heels against him harder.

"Sure? So tight..."

I moaned. It was the only sound I could make to reassure him. I couldn't remember how to speak.

He gave one last, quick thrust and he was pressed against my clit. His head dropped down to my shoulder and he moaned too.

I was full and stretched. His cock was reaching places inside me that had never been touched. My lungs were gasping for air as if they too were full of Edward.

He was still and I needed him to move. "Edward? Please?"

He chuckled.

My eyes rolled up into my head as the vibrations rubbed his skin over my pulsing clit. My whole centre was stretching around his girth and my clit was exposed to everything near it. I was already close to coming again.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I'm trying not to come too quick."

I hummed. "Don't. I will probably beat you there if you start moving."

He moaned and squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled out. Then he thrust back into me hard. I moaned loudly as my clit was rubbed and pressed. He let out a breath which washed over my burning face.

"Again," I called.

He grunted and thrust into me again.

"Fuck," I said, too close to orgasm to do anything but curse.

He hummed. Then he started long, hard thrusts.

My back arched as my body tensed. The muscles in my legs shook and I dug my fingers into his skin. I let out a long moan as my grip on the world and reality slipped and I floated in Edward's arms.

I became aware just in time to feel the last waves of my orgasm clenching around the massive, throbbing, twitching cock inside me. Edward's eyes were closed tight and a frown of concentration was on his forehead. He grunted softly as he rocked against me one last time.

We were both panting heavily and I wasn't sure whose racing heartbeat I could feel on my chest and against my fingertips. I pushed his damp hair back off his face.

"Thank you," he breathed as he opened his eyes. "That was fucking amazing."

I smiled and nodded. "Shit yes."

He rolled sideways and I sighed as he slipped out of me. I didn't move as he reached down.

"Oh..." He said.

I turned to see what was wrong and felt cum dripping out of me. His shocked look reflected my own realisation that we hadn't used protection.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I should have worn a condom." He was holding the head of his cock, which was still hard, in his fist. He looked guiltily at me.

I shook my head and reached over to put my palm on his cheek. "I can't get pregnant, I get contraceptive shots... And I'm clean."

He nodded. "I'm clean too. I promise. But I can get tested if you want."

I shook my head at him. "I trust you as much as you trust me." I had noticed that he instantly accepted my reassurances but assumed I wouldn't accept his without proof.

He rolled and pulled me close. "Completely."

I smiled as he leaned in to kiss me. "Exactly."

He sighed happily and we lay wrapped around each other for several quiet minutes. I closed my eyes and ran through the last half an hour in my mind, committing it to memory so I could relive it whenever I wanted to. It had been the best sex I had ever had. No one had ever made me come twice, and sometimes it had never happened. I had also never let someone inside me without protection the first time we were together. In the moment with Edward I hadn't even thought about it.

Edward's gentle fingers on my arms and back woke me up.

I rubbed my face against his chest as I yawned. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay. You're cute when you snore." He chuckled as I slapped his arm gently.

"I don't snore." I sat up and stretched. My body was aching all over but I hummed happily.

Edward was looking at me with a small smile on his lips. Not with lust or wanting, his cock was soft and lying across his hip, just happy and comfortable.

I smiled back at him. "I need another shower." My skin felt stiff from dry sweat and I was very sticky between my legs.

"I need food," he replied with a grin. "I'm going to order room service. Want anything?"

I nodded. "Steak and chips."

He laughed. "That's my girl. Want a salad too?"

I shrugged as I repeated 'my girl' silently to myself. "If it comes with one, sure."

I got off the bed and tested my legs to see if they would hold me up.

Edward hummed as he looked at my body, now with the lust he had been lacking before.

I giggled as I looked back at him. "Order quickly and come join me..." I left the room before he could react to my invitation.

Just a couple of minutes later, as I stepped under the hot water, the door opened and he came in. He had a smile on his face and I could see he was a little bit aroused. He stepped into the spray behind me and I leaned back against his chest. His arms wrapped around me and I sighed.

"Let me wash you," he said after a few minutes. He reached for the soap and lathered up his hands.

I turned to face him and he started rubbing the soap into my skin. He started at my shoulders and worked his way down. Occasionally he would stop to put more soap on his hands and he also got distracted by my nipples and butt.

He left my centre to last, coming back up to it after washing my legs. "Open for me, sweetie," he said as he crouched down in front of me.

I spread my legs and smiled down at him. My eyes were drawn away from his face and further down to his cock which was standing straight out between his legs, thick and hard. His soapy hands gently rubbed at my centre, his fingers slipping between my folds. He was very thorough as he made sure my clit was clean and every other piece of me was soaped until I was quivering above him.

"Pass me the water."

I reached up to take down the shower head and handed it to him. He doused me with water until all the suds were gone, using his fingers to check.

I moaned as he checked my clit for the tenth time and he reached behind me to turn off the water. His hands guided me backwards to lean against the wall and I was grateful that I wasn't trusting just my shaky legs to hold me up. He used his thumbs to part my folds and expose my clit. Then, with a hungry sound, he leaned in to lick it. I put my hands in his hair and pressed him closer. I was already lost in the pleasure and not thinking about how he would breathe. But he didn't protest and instead sucked my throbbing nerves into his mouth.

I moaned and it echoed around the room. His hands went to my butt and squeezed my cheeks, pushing me tighter against his face. I felt the light scratch of his teeth on my sensitive skin and suddenly I was orgasming and rocking my hips against his mouth.

He hummed and the vibrations kept me floating and my centre pulsing. I held on tight to his hair as I lost control.

I was trembling uncontrollably in his arms. My legs were too weak so Edward was holding me and keeping me from dropping to the floor. I hummed, a speechless lump of hot goo.

"Would you like to sit?" Edward said with a chuckle. He put me down on the shower seat and pushed my hair off my face. I looked up to smile at him and he leaned down to kiss my lips.

Then he stepped under the water and started to wash himself. I watched, fascinated and smiling at how less thorough he was with himself. He turned his back for a second and I saw the scratches I had made on his back. I needed to be more careful with him.

When he got down to his crotch I stood up to help. He grinned when I pushed his hands away and took over. I stroked the length of his cock to spread the soap suds everywhere. He hissed when my hands passed over his head and I stopped to see if he was alright.

"Sensitive," he said with a chuckle. "I don't have such a quick recovery as you do."

I hummed and moved my hands to soap his testicles. My centre was very sensitive from all the attention but he was right, it would be easy enough for me to come again and the sensitivity would probably help.

When he had rinsed off, we both stepped out of the shower and wrapped towels around ourselves. Out in the living room the food had been delivered. I could smell it and my stomach growled with hunger. We both went straight to the table and lifted lids without speaking. I sat down with my steak and chips and ignored the side salad it came with. Edward had ordered the same.

"Oh, that's nice," I said as I chewed my first bite.

Edward hummed around his own mouthful and nodded. Then we ate in silence.

He finished first and sat patiently waiting as I ate my last chips. "No salad?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not tonight. I need protean and carbs more."

He grinned as if he was proud to be the reason I needed real sustenance and plenty of energy. "What about sugar?" He lifted another lid to reveal a large slice of chocolate cake.

I nodded enthusiastically. "In bed while we watch a movie?"

He laughed and stood up. I followed him to the bed. We both dropped our towels and sat back against the pillows with our legs tangled together under the blankets.

Edward scrolled through the television's menu until he came to a movie called Invictus. I had never seen it before so I nodded.

The first scene was of a game of rugby and I looked at Edward with raised eyebrows. "A rugby movie?"

He chuckled and shrugged. "It's not just about rugby. It's about Nelson Mandela and apartheid in South Africa."

I smiled and turned to watch.

"Rugby uniting a nation," I said when the credits rolled.

Edward hummed and pulled me closer. "Like it brought us together."

I laughed. "Are you comparing us to a whole country who suffered racial division for years and awful poverty, violence and crime."

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. But rugby did bring us together."

I hummed my agreement and he kissed my shoulder. We turned the television off and cleared the cake plate and forks off the bed.

"Are you ready for bed?" He asked.

"After I brush my teeth."

I took my time in the bathroom. In the mirror my cheeks were pink and my eyes were sparkling. My hair was a complete mess and I had red marks all over my body but I didn't care because they were signs of how much fun I was having. I could see the happiness I was feeling inside on my face. Edward was perfect and made me feel happy and content. I could feel myself falling for him already.

I stepped out of the bathroom into darkness. All the lights were off except for a small lamp by the bed. Edward smiled as he watched me walk across the room to my suitcase. It took me a few seconds to push aside all the lingerie I now realised would go unworn. Then I found my rugby jersey and I pulled it on over my head.

Edward laughed as I crawled into his arms. "Here was me thinking we would sleep naked..."

"Silly. I wear this every night and you and your hot body won't change that."

He chuckled and pressed himself against my back. "We will see about that..."

I hummed. We were both too exhausted to do any more than sleep and within minutes we were both passed out.


	19. Chapter 19

I was woken by cheeky fingers pushing my jersey up. I cracked open one eye and saw Edward grinning at me in the dim sunlight coming into the room through the gaps in the curtains. He was propped up on an elbow beside me. All the blankets had been pushed off us sometime in the night so I could see he was still completely naked.

"Good morning." I closed my eyes again but reached down to stroke his erection.

He hummed and went back to lifting my jersey. "It sure is. I love waking up next to you." He had exposed my chest and he leaned in to suck my nipples.

I moaned and pumped my fist along his length.

He pried my fingers off him and spread my thighs. Then he kneeled between my legs and rubbed the head of his cock through my folds. He rocked against my clit until I moaned and opened my eyes.

"Stop teasing." I was trying to frown at him but it got lost in my lust and the feeling of his hot, hard skin rubbing my sensitive clit.

He slid his cock down my folds and stopped at my entrance. "Condom?"

I shook my head, unwilling to stop what was happening and seeing no reason to bother with something we hadn't even thought about the night before.

He pressed forward and slid into me slowly until my clit met his skin. We both moaned and he leaned down to kiss me.

"I don't believe you can even get condoms that big," I said as I was stretched to what must have been my limit.

He chuckled and kissed me again. "You flatter me. Let me pay you back..."

With a long, slow stroke, he pulled his hips back until just his head was inside me then plunged back in with a loud slapping noise as our skin came together.

My back arched with pleasure. His arm went around my waist and held me in that position. He was still kneeling between my legs and I was spread before him. With his other hand, he reached down to rub my clit with his thumb. He was thrusting rhythmically and circling too. I was clutching at the sheet beneath us and moaning loudly.

The tension inside me expanded until I felt like I would burst. "Edward..."

He pulled me up against his chest and held me tight. "Let go, sweetie."

I held onto his head. He was so deep and now just rocking himself inside me. My clit was pressed against him and rubbing with his movements.

His mouth went to my neck and he sucked hard on my skin. I stopped breathing as my centre throbbed and I flew.

"Fuck, Bella," Edward said as he stilled and came deep inside me.

We were both covered with sweat and our hearts and lungs were racing. I was draped over him, now too weak to move.

He hummed and kissed my neck and face. "You're amazing."

I giggled and kissed him back. "As are you."

He groaned as he eased us down to lie on the bed. "I have to leave in an hour. What do you want for breakfast?"

We ordered and he went to have a shower. As he came out of the shower the food arrived and we ate together.

"See you later, sweetie," he said as he bent over to kiss my lips gently. "Text me to let me know what you're going to do today."

I hummed. "I might go out to explore. But I'm going back to bed after you leave."

He chuckled. "Sounds good. I will text you too when I know when I will be finished." Then he kissed me again and left to go to his meeting.

I got a few more hours sleep before texting him. **Just woke up. The bed is too empty without you in it with me. How's your meeting?**

I didn't expect an answer straight away so I had a shower.

 **Just having a break now. Lots of decisions made so just a few to go. Can't wait to be in bed with you again.**

I smiled happily as I read his reply and wrote my own. **Do you have plans for next time we are in bed again?**

 **A few. Cuddling, kissing, talking, movies, food... Maybe be inside you some more.**

I shivered. I couldn't stop thinking about sex and it seemed he couldn't either. **Hurry up and finish your meeting.**

There was no reply and no texts for a few hours. I hoped he was busy finishing his meeting and getting back to me. I decided to leave the hotel and have a look around the city.

 **Finished! Where are you sweetie?**

I left the shop I was in and headed towards the hotel. **On my way back to hotel. See you there.**

I arrived at the front doors just as Edward's taxi pulled up. He waved to me as he ran towards me and we walked inside together.

"Did you have a good day?" He asked as we waited for the elevator.

I hummed. "It was okay. How was the meeting?"

We stepped into the elevator and he pushed the button for our floor. Then he stepped back to stand beside me. His arm brushed against mine and I bit my lip.

"Fine. Boring. Lots of paperwork and stupid procedures."

I looked up at him. "Nothing interesting at all? Or is it all top secret?"

He chuckled. Then he turned to look at me. Our eyes locked and we were still for a few long seconds. I wasn't even breathing. We reached for each other. I put my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and backed me up against the wall.

"I missed you," he said, his voice almost sounding like he was in pain. He leaned in to kiss me hard.

I hummed against his lips and opened for him. He took my invitation and plunged his tongue into my mouth.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. An older man was standing there and paused before stepping in. We quickly pulled away from each other and waited as the elevator went down to the ground floor to let the man out.

When he was gone I giggled. "We missed our floor."

Edward chuckled. "I didn't even notice." He pushed the button for our floor again and we waited patiently.

We walked into our rooms holding hands and as soon as the door closed Edward pulled me into his arms. "I really did miss you," he said as he kissed my neck.

"I did too." I was wrapped around him but there was no heat in this embrace. We were both just happy to be together again.

"I don't know why I feel like that suddenly." He was still kissing my neck as he murmured against my skin.

I hummed. "I know. I think I just want to spend all my time with you."

He pulled back to look at my face. "What are we going to do when we go home?"

"Can't we just stay here?"

He chuckled and kissed my lips. "I wish we could." He led me over to the couch and we sat. "Maybe I can find a way to go to Seattle."

I shook my head. "No you can't. You have too many commitments in Portland."

"I will drop all of them."

I smiled and brushed my fingers over his cheek. "No. I won't let you... I could go to Portland. I don't have a job or anything in Seattle."

"What about your dad?"

I bit my lip. Leaving Dad had been on my mind for a while as I looked for jobs away from home. But I had never committed to the move and never faced it until now. "I could just go to Portland for weekends. You and Emmett wouldn't want me around more than that anyway."

He reached for my hand and studied my fingers for several minutes. "I'm going away with the Eagles next week."

I frowned up at him at the change of subject but he was still focussed on my fingers.

"We are away for ten days playing Samoa, Japan and Tonga. Then we will be in Seattle to play Canada."

"What an awesome opportunity. How often do you get to travel like that?"

"Every year but we get a different draw so we don't always get to go to the same places. Last year we played in Canada. This year Canada are coming to us. I'm glad we are going around the other countries first then ending in The States."

I nodded. "That's a lot of games and travelling in a small amount of time."

He sighed. "It's the Pacific Nations Cup. It's pretty important for our World Cup preparation."

I nodded. "Is that what the meeting was about?"

"Yes. We planned the next few months."

"Did you help pick the team?" I asked quietly, knowing I wouldn't get much information.

He nodded and sighed. "That's always the hardest part."

I hummed. "Because you're friends with some of them. And the best players need to be picked if they're your friends or not."

He gave me a half smile. "Exactly. It's hard to vouch for a friend who you know is good enough but the coaches think he has lost it and they know he's my friend so I can see them wondering if I just want my friend in the team."

I matched this information to the player easily and wondered if I should say anything. "Jasper."

Edward nodded.

"I'm sorry, honey."

He sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in my lap. I stroked his hair to soothe him.

"Should you be telling me this stuff? Nigel made it seem like top secret information."

He looked up at me. "You're not going to go to the press."

I nodded. Of course I wouldn't talk. I would keep any secret he told me. "Are there many people from the Barbarians in the team?"

"Yes. We are the top team in the domestic competition so half the squad are Barbarians."

I bit my lip to keep myself quiet. But I desperately wanted to know everything. The excitement of competition and the World Cup was getting to me.

He reached up to free my lip from my teeth. "Do you want to know?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I do. But don't tell me if you think you shouldn't."

He chuckled. "I can see you're jumping out of your skin..."

"It's the Eagles. The national team. Who wouldn't be excited?"

He laughed and lifted my hand to his mouth to kiss my palm. "Paul and Quil are going to cover the props. Sam is one of the hookers. Emmett is going but he will be back up if the other locks get injured. Garrett and I are the flankers and Tyler will back us up if he isn't needed at eight. Ben is the best half back in the country so he was a given. Jazz will be selected but I had to fight for him. They will be meeting with him early next week to discuss their concerns."

"Poor Jazz," I murmured.

Edward nodded. "Yeah but he will be fine. Outside him there is Mike, Eric, Laurent and James who are all first choices. Seth is going in a development role and Alec still might be called up depending on someone else's injury rehab."

"That's most of your team."

Edward nodded.

"I'm glad Jasper is going and Emmett too."

He hummed thoughtfully then was silent for a few minutes.

I could see he was deep in thought. Probably about the things said at his meeting so I kept quiet too.

Then he sat up, turned to face me and took a deep breath. "Rugby is my life right now; my job, my career, my passion, my hobby... Bella, I've never met anyone like you. Thank you for taking an interest in something I love."

I opened my mouth to say something about loving sport and how great rugby was but nothing I could think of to reply was right. So I leaned in and kissed him.

He cradled my face in his palms and held me to him. The kiss wasn't heated or desperate. It was saying something neither of us was ready to voice but we were both feeling it.

That night we went to bed early. We talked for hours about our lives, both past and present, and everything that made us who we were. Our flight was early the next morning so Edward pulled me against his chest and I fell asleep warm in his arms.

We arrived in Seattle late the next morning. After collecting our suitcases, Edward drove us to Dad's house. No one was home.

I put my suitcase in the corner of my room and turned to step into Edward's waiting arms. We had hardly spoken for the whole day. Packing and check out had been done in a rush. On the flight we had listened to Edward's music again and I had rested my head on his shoulder.

Against his chest I blinked back tears and let out a frustrated groan. "This is so stupid. Just two days together and I feel like I can't function without you anymore."

He hummed as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I know."

We stood there in silence for a long time. I listened to his heartbeat and tried to memorise the moment. His smell, the feel of his arms around me, the tugging on my hair when his fingers found a knot, how soft his lips felt against my forehead...

"I can stay for one night," he eventually said.

I looked up at him. "You can? I thought you said you had to go."

"I do but I don't want to." He leaned down to kiss my lips.

I sighed. "No. You have to go. The captain can't skip training."

He shut his eyes and let out a groan. "Fuck I hate this..."

I hummed in agreement.

"Come with me?" He opened his eyes and studied my face for my reaction. "Please, Bella. Come to Portland."


	20. Chapter 20

"Come with me?" He opened his eyes and studied my face for my reaction. "Please, Bella. Come to Portland."

I looked up at him as a slow smile spread across my face. "Okay." I didn't have any commitments to keep. There was nothing I needed to be in Seattle for.

He blinked and returned my smile. "Really? Oh... Thank you."

I was pulled into a bone-crushing hug and I laughed. "I need to check in with Dad and pack some clean clothes then we can go."

Edward eased his grip on me and nodded. "Let's stay for dinner then go."

I could see he wanted to do things properly. He respected Dad and would make sure everyone was comfortable and happy with any decisions and plans.

I picked up my suitcase and put it on the bed to open it. Edward sat against my pillows to watch but leaned forward when I started taking stuff out.

"What is that?" He asked after he had seen a few lacy items go past.

I giggled and blushed. "I took a few... Night things."

He stood up and came around the bed. "May I?"

I bit my lip as I stood aside. He picked up a black lace baby doll and let out a whistle.

My cheeks were burning with embarrassment and I reached out to take it from him. We both held on tight to the delicate fabric and he pulled me to him with it.

"What were you planning?" He asked with a husky voice.

I shook my head, too mortified to speak.

"You wanted me bad." He was whispering in my ear and I shivered as the heat of my embarrassment turned to something else.

I raised my head and our lips were less than an inch apart. "Yes I did."

He kissed me hard. "Didn't you know I was a sure thing?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not for sure..."

"You must have seen..." He shook his head.

"What?" I asked as I reached up to stroke his cheek.

He let out a breath. "Renee showed me pictures of you that night when we were on Facebook."

"Oh no," I said quietly.

He chuckled. "I thought you were beautiful and the things she said about you... I really wanted to meet you."

I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "I looked at the pictures of you on Facebook too. A lot."

"Then we met and you were so nervous but I should have been the nervous one. A pretty girl was going to watch me play rugby... And then you completely surprised me by being interested in the game."

I smiled shyly up at him. "And you... I was interested in you too. I was so worried when you got injured."

"I didn't know how to tell you I liked you. And then you left and I thought it was over."

"You gave me a rugby jersey..."

He hummed. "I liked knowing you might be wearing my jersey. And in bed, no less. Even though I wished I could see you again."

I shook my head. "I Facebook stalked you. It wasn't over."

He chuckled. "Then you came back. I wanted to get to know you. See if we had something."

"By sneaking into bed with me?" I grinned at him.

He laughed. "I swear that was a mistake. The best mistake I have ever made."

"I really liked waking up in your arms..."

"I really liked you in my arms..." He squeezed me gently, letting me know that hadn't changed. "And I desperately wanted to touch you. You were in my bed, so close to me, wearing my jersey, and all rumpled from sleeping. So sweet and cute. And funny... I was so tense and you were so relaxed."

I shook my head. "I wasn't. I couldn't stop thinking about how far away you were. I wanted to touch you too and have your arms around me."

He hummed and kissed me. "We got there eventually."

"Yes. You're ticklish."

He hummed. "I may have played it up a little for an excuse to get you closer."

I laughed. "What about the laptop?"

"Convenient," he said with a shrug.

"I got jealous of those girls at the park."

He was quiet for a minute as he played with a strand of my hair. "I thought you might like Emmett."

I laughed. "No way. Rose is scary. Is that why you didn't want him to take me to the WAGs box at your game?"

He looked away and nodded, his cheeks going a little pink. Then he shrugged. "Girls like him..."

"He's not my type," I said with a smile.

Edward hummed. "What's your type?"

"You. Talented, driven, ambitious, kind, thoughtful, considerate, generous..."

He leaned in to kiss me and stroked my face and hair to sweeten it. "Thank you. Speaking of talent... That game of pool was amazing."

I blushed. "I spent a lot of time at the local pool hall with my friends..."

"I enjoyed watching you." He leaned down to kiss my neck and nuzzle my ear. "A lot." His voice was lower now and rough. "I was so turned on seeing you analysing the table and sinking those difficult shots. By the end I was so hard I couldn't get up to congratulate you."

I shivered as he blew a breath down my cleavage. "Are you sure it wasn't just the short dress and boobs almost falling out?"

He chuckled. "No, that's why I was hard at dinner."

All the talk about his cock being hard made me reach down without thinking. I could feel his erection through his jeans, straining at the fabric.

He spun me around so I wasn't touching any more and pressed it against my butt. "And then I followed you onto the dance floor and we did this..."

He pressed his fingers into my hips and swung them as if we were dancing again.

"I have never been so horny in all my life."

I leaned back and turned my head so he could kiss me. He reached up to hold my chin as our lips met then dragged his hand down my body. He squeezed my boob before continuing down to press his palm on my lower stomach. My hips were still moving and rubbing against him.

"All I could think about was dragging you off to my bed and fucking you all night." His voice was not much more than a growl. "But you hadn't given me any signals."

I closed my eyes at the thought of him dragging me off. I would have gone willingly that night but he was right, I hadn't given him any signals because I had missed all of his. "What made you kiss me the first time then?"

"I couldn't stop myself. I was worried about scaring you off but the thought of never kissing you was painful."

"I'm glad you did."

He hummed against my ear. "Me too. I almost came when I realised you were naked under my jersey."

I blushed. "I was wearing panties."

He groaned. "Like I could forget. Red lace panties and a rugby jersey in my bed. Fuck."

I giggled.

"This," he said, holding up the black lace baby doll I had forgotten about. "This is coming to Portland. But I want you in my jersey when you sleep."

"What about the red lace?"

He groaned and turned his face into my neck. "Yes please. Where is it?"

"I'm wearing it..."

He spun me around in his arms. I bit my lip when I saw the mix of lust and wonder on his face.

"Matching bra too."

He looked down at my boobs with a moan. "Shit."

I hummed and stepped backwards out of his arms. He watched with wide, dilated eyes as I swept my dress up and over my head. I dropped it to the floor and stood there in my bra and panties.

"Oh... You're gorgeous," he breathed as his eyes swept down my body.

"Thank you," I said with a smile.

He stared at my body for a while before raising his eyes to my face. "I want you..."

I smirked. "Come and get me."

He took two steps and almost tackled me. We fell onto the bed and he pressed his mouth to mine. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and moaned when he rubbed against my centre.

"This stays on," he said after kissing and groping my boobs through the bra for several minutes.

I hummed. "Anything you want..."

"This I can work around." His fingers had drifted down my stomach and were tracing the elastic around my waist. Then they moved to the elastic around my leg and slowly made their way between my legs. I willingly spread my legs for him without being asked. He pulled the lace aside to expose my centre and stroked his fingers through my folds.

I let out a moan and he turned his head to kiss me. His fingers kept stroking and exploring until they were wet and slippery.

"Feel good?" He asked as he circled my clit. "You're so wet for me."

I moaned in response. There were no words when my heart was beating so fast and my lungs were struggling. My body was tense and my hands were gripping his shirt. I started to float and my centre contracted around his fingers. I moaned loudly as he continued to stroke me, drawing out my orgasm.

"I love watching you come," he murmured as he kissed my cleavage.

I hummed. "I love what you do to my body."

He was still fully clothed and I reached down to press my hand to the bulge in his jeans. He moaned quietly and dropped his forehead to my shoulder.

"Lie down, honey. Let me take care of you now."

He rolled onto his back and I kneeled beside him. His dark eyes watched me closely as I unzipped his jeans and pulled them and his boxers down enough to let his cock spring free. I took my time getting comfortable before touching. He was biting his lip and his cock was twitching with impatient anticipation. When I finally reached for his erection and wrapped my fingers around it, he hissed and his back arched slightly.

"Fuck," he moaned as I stroked the length.

I hummed and watched a bead of precum forming on the tip. Rather than spread it with my hand, I bent over and licked it up.

"Bella... Oh, shit."

I had sucked the head of his cock into my mouth and swirled my tongue around it. His hands were gripping the blankets beneath him. I pushed more into my mouth until he hit the back of my throat. As I backed off, I pulled my hands up to follow my mouth along his length. Then I repeated the movements faster and over and over until Edward put a hand gently on my head.

"Sweetie... So good... Going to come."

I hummed and kept going. His cock twitched and I pulled away to watch as streams of cum squirted out of him, hitting his shirt, pants, and my hands. He moaned loudly as I released his cock from my grip and more cum leaked out.

"I will get you a towel," I said.

He hummed as he lay across my bed with his eyes shut.

When I returned, he reached for me and pulled me down to kiss him. Then he cleaned himself up as best he could with the towel.

"Want me to go get your suitcase?" I asked.

"Yes. Please." He kissed me quickly before letting me go and pouted as I put my dress back on.

When I got back from the car, he had taken his shirt and pants off already. I hummed as I looked at his strong, chiselled body. He reached for his suitcase and I pushed it away with a shake of my head.

I stepped forward and put my hand on his chest. "I love your body too, you know."

He chuckled. "I'm glad you don't just like me because I'm talented, driven, ambitious, kind, thoughtful, considerate and generous."

I laughed but also noticed how he remembered what I had said about him. "A bonus." My fingers drifted down over his nipple and down to his hard stomach muscles. I watched as they followed the curves and dips of his abs.

He stood still, letting me admire his body, for several minutes before reaching for me and pulling me into his arms. I hugged him tight and listened to his heart.

I repacked while he put on a clean shirt and jeans. He was supervising me too, telling me to leave anything lacy and sexy in the suitcase. I followed his instructions with an indulgent smile on my face.

When I was finished, he took both suitcases to the car. I heard him saying something about precious cargo as he walked down the stairs.

We had a late lunch and sat on the couch all afternoon talking.

Dad came home from work. "Bella? Are you home?" He called from the front door.

"Yes, Dad. We're in the kitchen."

He came in and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Welcome home."

"Hi, sir," Edward said as he held out his hand.

Dad shook it. "Hello, Edward. How was the trip?"

Edward answered after he cleared his throat nervously. "Very good. The meeting was productive. Thank you for letting Bella go with me."

Dad snorted. "I didn't let her go. I don't have that power these days."

Edward lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

I grinned at Dad. "I wouldn't have gone if you had said I shouldn't."

Dad smiled and inclined his head slightly. Then he looked at Edward. "Stop calling me 'sir'."

"Okay." Edward said and shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Charlie will do, unless you hurt my girl."

Edward nodded. "I would never hurt her on purpose."

"Good. Because I trust you, and I know your parents, I won't ask you about your intentions..."

Edward swallowed heavily and answered anyway. "I like her and want to get to know her. I don't know what the future holds but I would like her in it."

Dad nodded his approval and left the room.

I pulled Edward down to kiss him hard.

He hummed as I let him go. "What was that for?"

I just smiled and shook my head. Surely he knew how well he had managed Dad.

As the three of us were finishing dinner, I told Dad our plans. "Dad, I'm going to Portland with Edward tonight."

He looked at Edward for a few seconds before nodding at me. "Okay. When will you be back?"

I looked at Edward. "I'm not sure..."

Edward cleared his throat. "I was hoping you would stay for the weekend."

"I will be back next week."

Dad nodded. "Okay. Do you have to go tonight? Why not leave in the morning?"

"I have training in the morning," Edward said.

Dad nodded and stood up with his empty plate. "You better get going."

Edward and I quickly cleaned the kitchen, said good bye to Dad and got into our cars. I wanted to be with Edward but I would need my car in Portland. So I made do with following behind him.

We arrived at Edward's apartment very late and we went straight to his room. I took all my clothes off and put on my rugby jersey. Edward watched me as he too stripped off.

He stopped me getting into bed and pulled me into his arms. "Thank you for coming to Portland with me." His hands squeezed my butt then pushed up under my jersey to my naked back.

I hummed and pressed myself against his erection.

He moaned and pulled away. "We need to sleep... Even though I want to be inside you. That's something I constantly want, though, so I'm getting used to it."

I giggled and got into bed. "Just like I'm always wet for you."

He groaned as he pulled me into his arms. "Damn it. I'm going to be hard all night now."

I rolled over with a sigh and he pressed himself against my back. His arms wrapped around me and he echoed my contented sigh.

"I'm so lucky," he murmured as he fell asleep.

I hummed as my eyes closed, feeling exactly the same.


	21. Chapter 21

Edward's alarm went off very early in the morning. I groaned as he rolled away from me to turn it off.

"Sorry, sweetie," he murmured.

I made a huffing noise as I wriggled closer to lie on his chest. He stroked my hair gently as we lay together.

When I was finally fully awake I asked, "When do you have to leave?"

"In about an hour."

I nodded and kissed his chest. "Do you need to shower and have breakfast?"

He hummed. "I should..."

I heard the question in his voice and reached under the blankets. He was very hard. I pushed my hand into his boxers and he moaned as my fingers stroked his length.

I quickly slipped my panties off and crawled over him to sit on his crotch. He held my hips as I pressed down hard and moved my hips. Then he lifted me and his cock slid inside me.

We both let out a moan as we came together. I was stretched to my limit and my clit was pressed against him too.

His hands went to my butt and he lifted me off him until just the head was inside me. Then he thrusted his hips up and plunged back into me. I held on tight to the sheets and locked my elbows to stay above him, trying to balance as he fucked me hard.

After several minutes he slowed down and stopped, letting my hips down and burying himself fully inside me. He was panting and sweating and I could see his heartbeat racing in his neck. I leaned down to kiss the vein and he moaned as my centre moved along his length.

I sat up and smiled down at him as I rolled my hips. He held onto me and pressed a thumb to my clit. My eyes rolled and I threw my head back at the contact. His other hand moved up under my jersey to cup my boob and squeeze my nipple.

"Shit," I said and moaned. My body was getting tense and it took all of my concentration to keep my hips moving. "So close."

Edward hummed. "Come for me, sweetie."

I bit my lip and held my breath.

"Edward, can I go to... Oh shit." Emmett had come crashing into the room.

I gasped and fell onto Edward's chest as Edward pulled at the blankets to cover us.

"What the fuck, Emmett?" Edward yelled.

"I... Sorry... Shit." He backed out and shut the door.

Edward rubbed my back and I sighed.

"Damn it..." I said as I sat back up.

Edward was still hard and I rocked my hips. I could still feel the tension inside me so I leaned back. He put his thumb on my clit and rubbed as I moved over him.

I threw my head back and lifted my hips higher. I could feel him rubbing inside me, winding up the tension and teasing out my orgasm. It was so close. I dug my fingers into his legs to steady myself as I finally found my release. He kept rubbing my clit as I came and my centre gripped his length.

When I was done, he held my hips to keep me above him and he thrusted up into me. It only took a few thrusts before he let me fall down his length which twitched and spilled inside me. "Fuck," he moaned as he came.

I lay on his chest while we recovered. Both of us were covered in sweat. I could hear his heart racing and feel as his lungs expanded beneath me.

He started stroking my hair and I looked up at him. "Let's get in the shower."

We showered together but without touching, apart from the occasional kiss. Then we dressed and went out to the kitchen.

Emmett was sitting at the table and blushed when we walked in. "Sorry, Bella. I didn't know you were here."

"It's okay."

"I hope I didn't ruin the moment." Emmett was grinning at us now.

I grinned back. "You may have interrupted my moment but I still came, if that's what you're worried about."

Emmett opened and closed his mouth in shock, unable to speak.

Edward laughed and pulled me into his arms. He kissed my neck. "Shit, I love you."

I froze and Edward looked at me with a scared expression.

"I didn't mean to say that. I was just thinking about how smart and funny you are. You're so quick with your comebacks and you always surprise me with what you say."

I smiled up at him, ignoring his nervous babbling. "You love me?"

He chuckled and put his forehead against mine. "Yes I do."

I let out a breath as I wound my arms around his neck. "I love you too."

He pulled back slightly to see my face better and whatever he saw made him grin. He kissed me hard and lifted me off the floor in his enthusiasm.

"Um..." Emmett said from the other side of the room. "As much as I like watching my best friend declare his feelings for my wifey, we need to go if we don't want to get punished."

Edward kissed me hard again. "I will be back as soon as I can."

I nodded and followed them to the front door. They waved as they drive away and I waved back.

They were going to be away for a few hours at least so I explored the kitchen and went to the shops to buy food.

"Sweetie, I'm home," Edward called when he finally got back.

I ran out to see him and jumped into his arms. "Hey, honey." I kissed him hard.

His hair was damp and he smelled like soap. He must have come home straight after showering. I hummed as I breathed his scent in.

"I got a text from Renee."

I groaned. "Oh no. You too?"

We both took out our phones and saw the identical message. **Dinner at my place for my birthday this year. Saturday night at 7pm. xR**

"Awesome," I said sarcastically.

Edward hummed. "At least we are both invited so we can go together."

I looked up at him and smiled. "You want to tell her?"

He nodded. "Why not?"

I laughed and pulled him down for a kiss.

"We can go to Seattle whenever you want and stay until I fly out of Sea-Tac on Tuesday."

"No training?"

He shook his head. "No official training but I still need to work out."

"And eat healthy?"

He chuckled. "Yes, the nutritionist is officially in charge of my diet."

"Luckily I have planned something healthy for dinner."

"You are cooking for us?" He was smiling happily down at me.

"Yes. Just us though. You need to get rid of Emmett."

He leaned down to kiss my neck. "No problem. Are we celebrating?"

"No. I just love you and want to cook for you."

He smiled at me with his eyes sparkling. "I love you too."

Edward laughed when I called him to the table later. I had gone all out with candles and flowers.

We sat down and he took my hand to kiss my knuckles. "Thank you, sweetie. This looks great."

I smiled sweetly at him. "There's dessert too..."

He hummed as he looked down at my boobs. "What sort of dessert?"

I reached over to lift his chin until he looked back at my face. "You'll just have to wait and see."

He started eating without saying another word and pressed his leg against mine under the table. I smiled as I ate.

When he was done, he sat and shifted impatiently as I finished. I took my time to tease him.

I stood up to collect the plates and he took them from me. "Let me do that. You can get dessert ready."

He dropped the plates into the sink and turned to see what I was doing. I laughed at his hopeful expression and got out the bottles of chocolate, caramel and passion fruit sauce from the fridge. His grin widened as he saw these but fell when I brought out fruit and ice cream.

I giggled and sat at the table with him. "I thought this might be healthier than a pie or a cake."

He laughed and nodded. "Yes it is." He put ice cream and chocolate sauce into a bowl and picked up a strawberry. "Come here, sweetie." He dipped the fruit and held it out for me to bite.

I kept my eyes on him as I licked at the dripping chocolate. I moaned and closed my eyes.

He watched my closely and his eyes dilated at my behaviour.

"Your turn," I said. I chose a piece of pineapple and dipped it in his bowl. As I reached forward, he held my wrist to keep me still as he took the fruit and licked my fingers.

"Bedroom?" Edward said and I nodded.

He followed me and pulled me into his arms as soon as we were through the door. His foot kicked the door closed as he kissed me. I put my fingers in his hair and pressed myself against him.

"Now this is the dessert I want," he said between kisses.

I hummed and pulled back to take my dress off. Edward watched me with a hungry look as he took off his own clothes.

"Shit," he breathed when he saw what I was wearing underneath. "Fucking hot."

I smiled and turned in a circle so he could see the black lace baby doll.

He reached for me, forgetting about his own clothes, and pulled me close. His hands went to my butt to trace the g-string between my cheeks. "You look better than I had imagined."

He kissed me again as his hands explored my lingerie and what was under it. His fingers eventually made their way under the g-string to stroke my centre.

I threw my head back and arched my back, already massively turned on by his touch and obvious enjoyment of what I was wearing.

He held me up as I moaned then lay me on his bed. As he took off his boxers, he looked down at me with dark, lustful eyes. He pulled my g-string off and crawled onto the bed, his erection swinging as he moved.

I lifted my legs to his hips and reached down to put him at my entrance. He pushed forward slowly to fill me.

"So good," he muttered. "Every fucking time."

I hummed in agreement and wrapped my arms around him. He started long, slow thrusts, using his whole length to make me writhe under him. The slow pace was driving me crazy. I was burning inside and my whole body was screaming for more. I dug my heels into his butt and pulled him towards me, trying to get him to speed up.

But he stopped completely and leaned down to kiss me. I let out a frustrated groan.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" He asked and sat up. He looked down at where we were joined. "Fuck it's hot seeing my cock inside you." He pulled back and thrusted slowly into me again.

I arched my back and moaned as he rubbed my clit and thrusted again. But it still wasn't enough. He had all the control and I had to lie back and let him do what he wanted.

"Edward," I moaned. "Fuck me. Now."

He came back down to me and wrapped his arms around my back and shoulders. "If that's what you want..."

"Yes. Fuck." I bit his shoulder in frustration then licked at the skin to apologise.

He hissed and his arms tensed around me. His hips pulled back and thrusted hard against me. I moaned at the power behind it. Exactly what I needed.

"Yes," I breathed.

He kept going. Hard and fast. Pounding into me. My clit slapped against him with every thrust.

"Fuck... Going to come," I said through clenched teeth.

He grunted in my ear as he kept pounding into me.

I came undone slowly. My body, tense with his roughness, slowly became liquid in his arms and my head felt light as I came. I moaned loudly and held onto Edward's arms tight.

He stopped thrusting and rocked against me. His cock deep and twitching inside me. "Fuck yes," he breathed.

When he was finished, his arms loosened and he fell beside me. I rolled and draped my arm across his stomach. We lay there for a long time, recovering from the intensity.

Eventually, Edward pulled me into his arms. "Who needs the gym..."

I giggled. "If that counts as your workout I'm happy to help whenever you need me."

"You might regret saying that..."

I shook my head. Yes, he had been rough, but that was what I had needed. He always knew what to give me.

He lifted his arm to look at the crescent marks I had made with my nails. "More marks."

I hummed and ran my fingers over them. "Sorry."

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Don't be. I wear them with pride, even if the guys gave me some shit."

I blushed at the thought of his teammates talking about us having sex. But I liked that he wanted me to mark him. "You must be a masochist. Pain and injuries are your life."

He hummed and kissed me. "And love... For you and my sport."

On Saturday we drove to Seattle for Aunt Renee's birthday party. We pulled up to her apartment expecting the street to be packed with cars and people. But there were just three cars outside.

"That's my dad's car," Edward said, pointing to a silver car.

I nodded. "Just your parents, my dad and Aunt Renee."

We looked at each other for a few seconds. I frowned, confused and wondering what had happened to the usual birthday extravaganza.


	22. Chapter 22

On Saturday we drove to Seattle for Aunt Renee's birthday party. We pulled up to her apartment expecting the street to be packed with cars and people. But there were just three cars outside.

"That's my dad's car," Edward said, pointing to a silver car.

I nodded. "Just your parents, my dad and Aunt Renee."

We looked at each other for a few seconds. I frowned, confused and wondering what had happened to the usual birthday extravaganza.

I blew out a nervous breath. "Okay. Let's do this."

Edward laughed as he got out of the car and came around to take my hand. We walked inside together and found a quiet, candlelit room with the four adults seemingly waiting for us.

"It's true!" Aunt Renee yelled when she saw us. She clapped her hands excitedly as she came over to hug us.

I dropped Edward's hand to hug her. "Happy birthday, Aunty." I handed over my present for her.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she said as she took the parcel. "You didn't have to get me anything. This is the best gift I could receive." She was pointing her finger and waving it between Edward and I.

Edward chuckled and leaned in for a hug. "Happy birthday, Renee. Where's the party?"

"This is it. Just my favourite people." Aunt Renee pinched his cheeks as she smiled up at him.

I looked over at the others and saw Esme had her hands pressed against her mouth. He eyes were shining with tears.

"Uh..." I muttered quietly to get Edward's attention. "Your mum?"

Both he and Aunt Renee turned to look. Aunt Renee went over to hug Esme.

"I didn't believe you," Esme said.

Aunt Renee laughed. "But you do now."

They looked at each other. Esme was grinning. Then they both screamed and started jumping up and down, holding each other's hands.

"What we used to talk about."

Esme nodded. "Right from when they were so young."

Aunt Renee laughed and turned to look at Edward and I. "I did this. I claim credit for you two getting together."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Aunty. Thank you."

Edward was pretending to praise her beside me.

Esme was looking straight at me. She held out her arms when I met her eye. "Come here, beautiful girl."

I went to her and gave her a hug.

"I am very happy," she whispered as she squeezed me.

I stepped back and smiled at her. Then she hugged Edward too. He had pink cheeks when he came back to my side.

We all sat around the living room to talk. Dad handed Edward a beer and me a glass of wine with a sympathetic smile. He obviously knew what was coming.

"Edward and Bella," Aunt Renee said when everyone was comfortable. "Tell us how you got together."

Dad groaned and held up a hand. "Without any details us parents don't want to hear."

Edward chuckled and put his arm around my shoulders. "Basically I flirted with her constantly and she didn't notice. Then I kissed her and she finally understood."

Everyone laughed and I elbowed Edward gently. "That's very basic. He was so nice I assumed his flirting was just friendly. But then he kissed me and I understood."

I smiled up at Edward and he grinned back. His eyes lowered to my mouth as if he was going to kiss me but we were interrupted by more happy screaming from Aunt Renee and Esme.

"They're in love," Esme said.

"So totally in love," Aunt Renee replied.

They hugged as my cheeks burned and I hid my face against Edward's chest.

"All right," Dad said with a grimace on his face. "Can we stop screaming? This really isn't that exciting."

Aunt Renee turned to him with a mischievous smile. A sister ready to tease her brother. "You approve, Charlie, don't you? All that talk about no one is good enough for my little girl... But you like Edward, don't you? I can see how comfortable you are, even with him touching her..."

Dad crossed his arms defensively. "Yes I do approve. Edward is a good man and he makes Bella happy. I trust him. That's why I didn't stop her going away with him."

Aunt Renee's eyes and mouth opened wide as her eyes flicked over to Edward and I before returning to Dad. "They went away together? You're even okay with them sleeping together?"

Dad rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond but Edward cut in. "Stop it, Renee. Leave Charlie alone."

Aunt Renee's mouth snapped shut and she grinned. She turned to Esme. "He called him Charlie. He has permission to use first names. Do you know what this means?"

Esme was nodding vigorously. "This is the real deal. Marriage. Babies."

They both screamed again.

Dad stood up with a groan and went into the dining room. Carlisle followed and Edward and I escaped after them.

A few minutes later, Aunt Renee and Esme came in with the food. They had composed themselves but I still caught them grinning at each other occasionally.

I sat between Edward and Carlisle. Edward put his hand on my knee and squeezed as we began to eat.

"Bella," Carlisle said after a few minutes of eating and praising Aunt Renee and Esme for the food. "Renee said you're a teacher?"

I nodded. "Trying to be. I'm struggling to find a full time job at the moment. I do some substitute teaching."

Edward squeezed my knee. He knew that my career was a difficult subject to discuss and wanted me to know he supported me.

Carlisle hummed. "A colleague of mine at the hospital is married to the principal of Ingraham High School. Maybe I could mention you to him."

"That would be amazing, thank you. That school is really good. I would love to work there."

Carlisle looked pleased. "Okay. Tell me what I should say. The subjects you teach and anything else that might get you a job."

We talked for half an hour, planning the perfect summary of me and my skills. Then Carlisle promised to pass it all on to his colleague or, if he could find a way, the principal himself. I thanked him enthusiastically and wondered if this was finally my way into a school.

I hadn't realised that Edward had moved his hand away from my knee. I turned to smile at him and was given a forced smile in return. But there was no chance to say anything more because Esme brought out Aunt Renee's birthday cake.

We sang to her and cheered when she cut into it. Then we all were given a piece and Esme pulled me away to sit on the couch with her.

"Sorry if we overwhelmed you earlier," she said. "Renee and I get a little excited sometimes."

I laughed. "Sometimes?"

Esme giggled. "Okay, you're right. But I don't want to scare you off. I really think you and Edward will be good together."

I nodded and looked down at my slice of cake. "I do too."

She didn't say anything and I eventually looked up to see her grinning at me. "Are you in love?"

I nodded and blushed. "Yes. He's the most amazing person I have ever met."

Her eyes were full of tears and she blinked rapidly to clear them. "I did my best to raise a gentleman."

I nodded and glanced across the room at Edward who was deep in conversation with Dad and Carlisle. "I have to thank you for that."

"I always hoped he would end up with you," Esme continued. "You're a sweet, smart girl."

Aunt Renee had sat down with us and nodded at Esme. "They are so similar too. Remember at the restaurant when I got them talking on Facebook?"

I rolled my eyes at her still claiming credit. Esme nodded.

"Well," Aunt Renee continued. "When I sent Edward's phone number to her, she told me off for not getting his permission. Then I sent him her number and he said the same thing. Almost word for word." She was smiling at me proudly.

"It's meant to be," Esme whispered.

"Fate," Aunt Renee said with a nod.

I was saved from more spiritual talk by Dad who announced that it was late and time to go home. Aunt Renee protested but conceded when Carlisle agreed with Dad.

We all went out to the cars. Dad was first to leave and we waved as he drove away.

Esme hugged me and kissed my cheek before doing the same to Edward. Carlisle promised again to talk to his colleague for me and shook Edward's hand.

Aunt Renee hugged and kissed both of them and they too drove away. Then she turned to us with a grin. "This is the best birthday ever."

I laughed. "This is the quietest birthday ever. Are you sure it's the best?"

She came over and put one hand against my cheek and the other on Edward's. "You two getting together has made my year. Who needs a big party when dreams come true?"

I rolled my eyes at how dramatic she was being. "You have very strange dreams."

She shook her head and shushed me. "I've always seen you as a daughter. You have always been closer and more dear to me than just my niece. And Edward, your mother is like my sister. Closer than my actual sisters. How could we not dream of ways to all become family? Ultimately, we just want you both to be happy. But we hope you will be happy together."

I hugged her and kissed her cheek, unable to think how to reply to that. Edward did the same and we left with a wave.

The drive home was very quiet. Neither of us spoke until we walked into the house.

"Dad must have gone straight to bed," I said. The hall light was the only one on in the whole house.

Edward hummed and followed me up to my room. We undressed and got into bed. Edward pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms around me.

"Goodnight, sweetie," he said.

"Goodnight, honey."

That was it. No kisses or touching. Hardly any talking. I was in his arms but still feeling cold. After so many nights together, all of which included some fooling around at least, this felt strange to me.

I couldn't sleep and I knew Edward wasn't sleeping either. His breathing wasn't slow and deep enough.

"Edward?" I whispered.

He hummed in reply.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes. Tired."

I bit my lip. Could I call him on his lie? If he was so tired he didn't want to fool around a bit, or even talk, he would have fallen asleep by now. I lay still for a while longer, hoping that I would finally sleep, and listened to Edward's breathing.

Late the next morning I woke up alone. We had both been restless for most of the night and I knew that he had left my bed when it was still dark. I yawned as I dragged myself to the bathroom. As the shower heated up I looked at myself in the mirror. There were dark circles around my eyes and my skin looked more pale than usual.

Downstairs was deserted. I made myself breakfast and sat looking out the window as I ate. Edward's car was still in the driveway and I was glad he hadn't left. But he wasn't there and I had a sick feeling in my stomach.

I put most of my breakfast in the trash. My stomach couldn't handle food and all I wanted was Edward. I went back to staring out the window, determined to wait until he came back.

Just ten minutes later, he came jogging up to the front door. He was wearing sweatpants and a wife beater and had his earbuds in his ears.

I opened the door for him and smiled as he came inside.

He shook his head as I reached out. "Sweaty."

I nodded. His hair was wet and there were damp patches on his chest and back.

"Shower," he said as he went upstairs.

I stayed away and waited. We needed to talk but I didn't know how to start the conversation.

He took a long time and then even longer to get dressed. After a while I couldn't wait any longer so I went up to find him. He was lying on my bed looking at his phone.

"Hey," I said nervously from the door.

He glanced over before looking back at his phone. "Hey."

I stood there for another minute, wondering what I should do and coming up with no ideas. So I went back down to stare out the window.

We spent the afternoon apart. Me hiding downstairs, him upstairs.


	23. Chapter 23

We spent the afternoon apart. Me hiding downstairs, him upstairs.

I went to the front door when Dad got home.

"Hi, Bella. Good day?"

I forced a smile and nodded. "Yes. Pizza for dinner. Okay?"

Dad grinned. "Sure."

I sat down on the couch to order and Dad sat in his chair. He turned the television on and flicked through the sports channels.

"Where's Edward?" He asked.

"Up stairs." I kept my eyes on the menu on my phone to avoid looking at Dad.

When the pizza arrived, I went up to get Edward. He was still on my bed, reading one of my books.

When I told him what was for dinner he frowned. "I can't eat pizza."

I sighed as I internally kicked myself for forgetting about his diet. "Sorry. Do you want me to make you something?"

He shook his head as he got up. "No, thanks. I'll get something." He picked up his car keys from my desk, walked past me and went out to his car. Then he was gone.

Dad smiled when I went back to the table and said Edward didn't want pizza. "More for us."

I nodded and picked up a piece. It tasted like cardboard and I almost couldn't swallow. After a few minutes I gave up. "I'm tired. See you tomorrow, Dad."

"Good night, Bella." He stood to kiss my forehead and looked like he wanted to say something. But he didn't and he let me go.

In bed, I lay looking at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. I was beyond tired but sleep wasn't going to come. Not while something was wrong between Edward and I.

He eventually came back, tiptoeing into my room in the dark. I listened as he shuffled around for a few minutes. Then he got into bed with me.

"Hey," I whispered to let him know I was awake.

"Hey, sweetie." He pulled me back against his chest and buried his face in my hair. Then he let out a sigh. "I've been a massive asshole, haven't I?"

I hummed in agreement but shrugged to not hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't reply. He needed to explain what was going on before I could accept his apology.

He sighed again and his arms loosened. "Roll over?"

I did so and looked at his face in the semi-darkness. His eyes looked sunken and expressionless. The corners of his mouth were down and I could see tension in his jaw.

He stroked my hair and I felt myself relaxing with the first proper touch he had given me all day.

"The first thing I want you to know is, I'm selfish. Maybe it's because I'm an only child... Maybe it's because I've always had everything I have needed... Maybe it's a personality flaw and I will never beat it. I have things that are mine, that I don't share, and that I'm not willing to give up. You..."

I closed my eyes. "I'm not a thing."

He put his hand on my cheek and brushed his thumb over my skin. "No, you're not. What I was going to say is, you have given me some things I now have at the top of that list. Love... Passion... Lust... And all my countless and nameless feelings for you. I'm not willing to give any of it up, or share them."

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. "Aunt Renee. All that stuff about destiny and karma. It's scared you off. I'm sorry. I wish we hadn't told her too."

"Shh," Edward said quietly. He leaned in to kiss my closed eyelids, collecting my tears on his lips. "It's not that at all. Please listen to me."

He waited until I opened my eyes again. I nodded for him to continue.

"Getting back to the selfish bit, I have been thinking about what I want my future to be like. Basically I want everything to stay the same; living in Portland, playing for the Barbarians, touring with the Eagles, studying. But I also want you to be part of it."

He paused to study my face. I nodded to show him I understood even though I wasn't sure about the pain in his expression.

"I like to think I'm a good person," he said. His gaze had dropped to look at something other than my eyes. He was ashamed of what he had to say. "I always try to encourage others and help them. I support what is best for people and do anything I can to help them. But I find myself unable to do that with you." He took a deep, shuddering breath at the same time as I held mine in shock. "I thought I wanted you to find a job. I thought I supported your career. I thought that I would be happy when you got hired. But I can't. Not if it means you will be in Seattle. I cannot make myself be happy for you at the expense of my own hopes and dreams. I hate that there is a possibility that my father might get you a job here, so far away from where my life is. I hate that I'm not getting what I want. I hate that I feel this way."

He was so twisted up and unhappy at his feelings and what he thought they said about him. But to me everything he said made me feel the opposite. I wanted what he wanted. The possibility of a job in Seattle was just that: a possibility.

I moved in close to him and made him put his arms around me. "Edward, I want the same thing. It was kind of your Dad to offer his contacts. But I'm not going to get a job in Seattle. Even if he does talk, and the principal is interested, there's not much chance there is work available for me beyond substitute days. And, if by some miracle I am offered a job, I would need to think about whether I take it or not. Yes, I want a job. Yes, I have been looking for a long time. Yes, it's been difficult. Maybe I got a little desperate. But I've also thought about it a lot. The biggest message I get from the schools is that I'm young and inexperienced. They are telling me to go out there, do things, and get a little older. Why not take their advice? I can teach for the rest of my life but I'm not sure that needs to start now."

He was studying my face. "What does that mean?"

I smiled. "It means that I'm letting go of all the stress. I'm going to apply for jobs when I'm ready, which I'm not right now. If I get offered something, through your dad or whatever, I'm going to consider if it's right for me or not. Right now I don't want to have commitments. I don't want to have stress. I want to enjoy my life and my freedom. I want to do what I want, when I want. And right now, the most important things is being happy. For me, happy is being with you and having fun with you."

Now he was smiling. "Do you mean it? You want to be with me?"

I nodded and smiled back.

"But you're not choosing me over your career. That wouldn't be a good idea."

I shook my head. "No. I will still be a teacher, I have the qualification. I'm just not interested in teaching right now."

He let out a happy burst of laughter. "I'm so fucking lucky and still so fucking selfish. I can't believe you're doing that for me."

I ran my thumb over his smiling lips. "I'm not doing it for you. I'm choosing to do what's best for me. So, if anything, we are both selfish."

He chuckled and pressed his lips against mine. I put my fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss. He moaned and pulled my body closer to press against his.

"I love you so much," he said when we pulled apart.

"I love you more," I replied with a grin.

He hummed and nodded, letting me win that one. Then he rolled me over and I settled in his arms. I fell asleep happy and content.


	24. Chapter 24

We woke up early the next morning. It was the last full day before he was going to leave and I was determined to make the most of it.

Down in the kitchen, Dad was eating toast in his uniform. "Morning," he said around a mouthful.

"Good morning, Dad," I replied. I gestured to Edward to sit at the table while I made us some breakfast.

Edward sat with a nod and a smile. "Morning, sir."

"Morning, Edward. Nice day today."

"Yes, sir. I'm hoping it stays nice too."

Dad hummed. Then he got up, cleared his plate away, and left for work.

I brought a stack of toast to the table. "Why are you calling him sir again?"

Edward shrugged as he took some food. "When I got back last night, he reminded me that I could call him Charlie only if I didn't hurt you. I think I've got some work to do before I can call him Charlie again." He was looking at me shyly through his eyelashes.

I laughed. If he wanted to spoil me because he thought he had to erase the pain he had caused, so be it. I didn't mind. But I would also work hard to show him I was okay, even excited and happy, about the choices I had made. How could I not be with such a great man to share my life with? I leaned in to kiss him and he smiled at me.

We spent the day wandering around the city and talking. I held his hand and he kept kissing me. We reconnected and by the end of the day everything was back to normal.

Over dinner at a nice restaurant he took my hand across the table. "I'm sorry you can't come with me tomorrow."

"I didn't even think about it. I assumed I wouldn't."

He smiled. "USA Rugby quite often pay for players' partners to go on tour... But this one is so short they decided not to."

I nodded. "It's just a few days. I'm sure I can cope."

He laughed. "I'm sure you will..."

"Don't be fooled. I'm putting on a brave face. I'm going to miss you the whole time and hate being away from you. But I will do it."

He leaned in to kiss me. "I feel the same."

I hummed.

"I'm not so sure about Jazz and Alice. She is very upset she can't go. I've had several emails..."

I laughed. "That's no surprise. I'm sure Rose and I can keep her busy."

"Thank you, sweetie," he said as he leaned in to kiss me again.

I drove Edward to the airport the next morning. For everyone but Emmett it was the first time they had seen us since we had gotten together so we walked in to wolf whistles and congratulations. Edward got slaps on the back from his teammates and I got sympathetic smiles from the other WAGs. There was no surprise shown, so someone must have told everyone we were together.

I blushed as I wondered if we were the subject of talk in the locker room.

Edward wasn't embarrassed at all and pulled me into his arms when their boarding call was announced. "Bye, sweetie," he whispered.

"Bye. Good luck."

He hummed and kissed me. "I feel pretty lucky."

I laughed and kissed him again.

"Take these." He handed me the keys to his apartment and car. "Stay at my place if you want and use the car too."

"Are you asking me to house sit for you?"

He chuckled and put his lips against my neck. "No. I just like the idea of you there. Sleeping in my bed. Using my stuff. Being in my space."

"Naked in your shower," I added. "Wearing your rugby jerseys. Having naughty dreams about you because I'm surrounded by your smell."

He groaned and pulled me closer. Our lips met again and the kiss had some heat to it. "I'm not going. Let's leave now and go home."

"Come on Edward," Emmett said as he walked past. "Stop being a pussy."

Edward sighed. "I don't care what he says. I love you and I don't want to leave you."

"I love you too but you have to go. I will see you in a few days."

"Ten days. Pick me up from the airport."

I nodded and kissed him one last time. "Bye, Edward," I said and gave him a little push.

He walked backwards towards the gate. I blew him a kiss which he caught and put in his pocket. Then he turned and was gone.


	25. Chapter 25

"Bye, Edward," I said and gave him a little push.

He walked backwards towards the gate. I blew him a kiss which he caught and put in his pocket. Then he turned and was gone.

"I feel like Jazz took my heart with him," Alice said as she came to stand beside me.

Rose scoffed. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm glad I don't have to go. I hate being forced to go to games and you know we would have to go to all of them."

Alice sighed sadly and rested her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her.

"I have an idea," I said to change the subject. "We need a spa day. And makeovers. And I need new clothes. And shoes." I listed everything I thought Alice would enjoy. "Rose, would you like to..."

Alice was now grinning at me and bouncing on the spot. "Yes to everything. We can do all that while the boys are away. We don't want them interrupting the fun. I need a mani pedi. Would you like to go today? Now?"

Rose was laughing. "Bella, what have you got us into? I was hoping to get a break with Emmett out of the country. But now I'm going to be booked solid doing all that."

I shrugged. This was for Alice. "Shall we go to Portland? I can stay at Edward's and we can start first thing tomorrow."

Both of them agreed. They didn't have anywhere to stay in Seattle and I didn't think they would be interested in the spare room at Dad's.

So I spent the first few hours away from Edward packing a few things and driving to Portland. That night I slept in his bed, surrounded by his scent and missing his arms. By morning, Alice had emailed Rose and I a full schedule of what was going to happen for the next ten days. I was glad to see she had included watching the Eagles games, in between a lot more shopping than I was comfortable with.

Edward's first game was in Apia, playing Samoa. Alice and Rose came to Edward's apartment to watch the game online with me. Rose spent the whole time playing on her phone and Alice occasionally watched as she read a book.

I realised they had only included the games on the schedule because they knew I would want to watch. The activities that had been planned were as much for me as they were for Alice.

The Samoan players were all big and strong. Even their wingers, who were usually sleek and lean players so they could be fast runners, were huge. I watched as one of them went for a run down the sideline. He was tackled by three of the Eagles players but brushed them off as if they were just children in his way. I cringed as James was trampled.

The Eagles lost by only five points but I wondered how many injuries they would have. Samoa seemed to be a tough start to such a short competition. They only had three days to recover before the next game.

Those three days were filled with pampering for me. We went to a beauty conference where we were taught how to put makeup on and what colours we suited. I was happy to find out that dark blue was one of my colours because I seemed to be drawn to it constantly while shopping. Alice booked us into a spa and we had massages, wraps, mud baths, and steam room sessions. She even had waxing on the list which I absolutely refused to do. She did convince me to get my hair cut and highlighted which I loved the results of.

I sent Edward a picture of myself and my hair that night. **Look at my hair!**

He replied a few minutes later. **Look at my beautiful girl. That hair, that smile, those eyes, that body. I love seeing you in my jersey and in my bed. Even if I can't be there too.**

I blushed at his words. **Are you lonely too?**

 **Yes. I'm sharing a room with Emmett. He's not willing to cuddle.**

I laughed at the thought of those two big men getting into bed together. **Not long now.**

Alice and Rose came over again for the next game. The Eagles were playing Japan in Tokyo. Edward had seemed confident about the game when I had asked him about it. The Japanese players were a lot smaller than the Samoans and fewer of them had experience playing in other countries.

Half way through the second half, I watched as a ruck formed close to the try line. I sat forward in my seat with excitement. The Eagles were so close to scoring again. Edward was bent over at the back of the ruck with the ball sitting between his feet on the ground. The Japanese players were restlessly moving along the try line. Desperately trying to defend against a team that had lead the scoring for the whole game.

I held my breath as I watched the defence thin around the ruck. Edward suddenly picked up the ball, dived for the line, and grounded the ball. I cheered loudly as his team mates crowded around him.

The camera stayed focussed on him for a few more seconds and I watched as he held up his fingers with his thumb bent across his palm. Then he tapped his fingers over his heart.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Alice was smiling at the screen. "I'm not sure but I could guess. Jazz does this thing where he holds up four fingers then makes a fist every time he scores points. The fist is American Sign Language for the letter A, so he's signing 'for Alice'."

I frowned at Alice, not sure I understood what she was saying and how it helped me.

Then Rose laughed and looked up from her phone. "I think it means he loves you, B. This is how you sign the letter B."

She held up her phone with a picture of hands doing exactly what Edward had done. I blushed. He had dedicated his try to me. "That's really sweet," I said.

Alice was nodding enthusiastically. Rose rolled her eyes but she had a small smile on her lips.

I waited impatiently for Edward's next phone call. When I finally saw his name on the screen I swiped it before it could ring twice. "Hey, honey."

"Hey. How are you?" He sounded like he was smiling. I wished I could see his face.

"Good. You?"

I heard Emmett shout, "hi, wifey," in the background and we both laughed.

"I miss you."

I hummed in agreement. "I watched the game..."

"Did you? Was it any good?"

I laughed. "You won so I guess so."

"Oh, that game. Yes it was a good one." I could tell he was grinning now as he teased me.

"I saw your try too..."

He hummed.

"And your signal."

He chuckled. "Did you like it?"

I hummed. "Yes, thank you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

The last few days dragged by. I watched Edward's game against Tonga. Alice, Rose and I had a movie marathon and sleep over at Alice and Jasper's apartment.

Finally, the day the team were returning came and we all drove to Seattle. None of us could sit still as we watched the arrivals board and the door our men would come through.

Edward was one of the first to emerge and I ran to him. He dropped his bags and opened his arms for me. I wrapped myself around him and pressed my face against his chest.

"Hi, sweetie," he said.

I cleared the tightness in my throat and looked up at him. "Welcome back."

He smiled and kissed me. "It's good to be home. I missed this so fucking much."

I hummed in agreement and stretched up to kiss him. My mouth opened for him and I hummed as he slipped his tongue in. His hands pulled me hard against his body.

"Get a room," someone muttered as they walked past us.

I pulled away and laughed, embarrassed at getting carried away in public. Edward hid his face in my hair with his mouth against my neck.

"Let's go home," he murmured. His voice was deep and told me exactly what he wanted.

I nodded and we picked up his bags. As we left the terminal we waved to Rose and Emmett. Alice and Jasper had already left, probably thinking the same as us.

I led Edward out to my car. He rested his hand on my leg as I drove. At home, we went straight to my bedroom without speaking.

When the door was shut, Edward pulled me into his arms. "Next time we go away, you're coming with me."

I hummed as his hands made their way into my shirt to press against my skin. "I will if I'm allowed to."

He groaned. "You will be, I'll make sure of it. Either you're going or they don't have their captain."

I giggled. "That's a threat."

He hummed as he pulled my shirt off and tossed it across the room. "I won't have to threaten them. They give me what I ask for."

"Powerful," I said. His hands were on my boobs and I could no longer form full sentences.

He unhooked my bra and it too was tossed across the room. Then he whipped his own shirt off and my chest was pressed against his as we kissed. He was warm and I was burning inside. The combination had me gasping and gripping onto his arms.

"I want this..." He put an arm across my shoulder blades and bent me backwards. "With me. Always."

He sucked my nipple between his lips and teased it with his tongue. I moaned and put my fingers into his hair.

"You taste so good, sweetie." He moved to the other nipple and did the same thing until it was hard too.

I pulled him to my mouth to get my own taste. Our tongues met and I hummed happily. He pulled me up so I could stand, then spun me around to press my back to his chest.

He reached around me to squeeze my hard nipples between his fingers. I arched against him and raised my hands to reach back to hold his hair again. Then his fingers drifted down my stomach to undo my jeans. He pushed the material down and I kicked it away.

"Fuck," he muttered when he saw my dark blue g-string.

"I bought it for you while you were away."

He hummed against my ear as his fingers brushed over the tiny scrap of lace. "Best home coming present ever."

His fingers were teasing my centre but not pushing into my folds. My hips thrusted forward, desperate for him to dive in.

But he didn't. Instead, he moved one hand to my hip and the other pushed me gently until I was bent over the bed. He moaned softly and I looked back to see him studying my butt.

"Shit, Bella. So fucking hot." He kneaded my butt cheeks before running a finger along the g-string from the back to the front.

I moaned and flexed my hips upwards. The invitation for him to be inside me was very clear.

He got rid of his pants and boxers in one quick move. His cock was big and hard already and I bit my lip. Just seeing it again made my body react.

Gently, he pulled my g-string down my legs and I stepped out of it. He ran a finger though my folds, brushing across my clit before pushing inside me. He twisted his wrist and I clenched around his finger. He pressed his thumb against my clit and I moaned.

"Ready, sweetie?" He asked. His voice was rough, his need matching the one burning inside me.

I hummed my consent because there were no words and waited. He didn't turn me around, he just pushed his cock into my folds. It followed the same course as his finger; brushing over my clit before slipping inside me.

I arched my back as he filled me and he pulled me up to kiss my cheek. Then I fell back to the bed with my butt in the air.

He moaned as he pulled out of me and pushed back in. "Fuck, that looks good. I love watching my cock disappear inside you."

He pulled out again and I moaned loudly as he thrusted a little harder. His hands started kneading my butt as he sped up his movements. I was holding onto the blankets and pushing back against him. With our combined effort, each time we came together our skin slapped loudly together and I could feel it right through my body.

I was getting close to orgasm. My whole world was focussed on the tension in my centre, the burn inside my body, and the lightness in my head. I arched my back as I moaned Edward's name. He caught me, with a hand on my stomach and the other on my chest, and pulled me up against his body. He kissed my neck and nibbled on my ear as he continued to thrust. His hands moved, one to play with my nipple and one to circle my clit.

My body melted in his arms as my head swam and my centre pulsed. I reached back to hold onto his hips as they continued to thrust through my orgasm.

"Feels so good," he muttered into my ear.

I hummed as I came back to my body. "I love coming on your cock."

He grunted and thrusted one last time. I could feel him twitching deep inside me as he came. His mouth was on my shoulder and he sucked hard at the skin.

"Fuck," he muttered. I could feel him beginning to relax behind me.

"Fucking amazing," I said with a small nod.

"Yes you are." He kissed my shoulder. "Sorry about that."

I craned my neck to see the large bruise on the back of my shoulder. Seeing a mark of our passion on my body gave me a shiver of lust up my spine. "Don't be sorry. I like it."

He chuckled and kissed it again. I moved off to lie down and he sighed as he slipped out of me. We lay beside each other holding hands for the rest of the afternoon. He told me about the fun the team had overseas between games. I wasn't surprised that Emmett was the practical joker on the team.

"Jasper and Ben were so angry when they realised their toilet had flooded the bathroom," Edward told me with a laugh. "But that was nothing compared to the embarrassment when the staff came to clear the blockage and they saw what was in there."

I giggled. "Do I want to know?"

He laughed again. "I don't know where he got so many jockstraps from, or if he packed that many. But it was like a magician's show. The plumber they called in reached into the toilet and pulled out one, which was tied to another, and another... All different colours and tied together like a rope. I had to leave. The look on the staff's face... And Jazz was bright red."

I laughed along with him. "That's very funny but very mean."

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry, they made sure Emmett lost the last Dinner Roulette."

"Dinner Roulette?"

"The names of everyone at the table go into a hat and whoever's name is pulled out, after everyone has eaten, has to pay the bill. We waited until the final dinner, which everyone went to, to rig it. Coach appeared to pull Emmett's name out of the hat."

I laughed. "That must have been expensive for him."

Edward nodded and chuckled. "The thing is, when you play Dinner Roulette in a small group, most people go for a cheaper meal because there is a high chance you will be paying. In a big group though, there isn't so much chance so it feels safe enough to get something more expensive."

"And even more so if you've rigged it."

He shrugged. "It wasn't foolproof. The hat did actually have all our names in it. Jazz slipped Emmett's name to Coach during the meal. There was no guarantee Coach was going to do it. But yeah, I might have had the most expensive things on the menu. The best part was that so did Emmett and he joked about how unlikely it would be that he or I would get stuck with the bill."

I giggled but I also felt a little sorry for Emmett. "I guess he deserved some punishment..."

Edward pulled me against his side and wrapped his arms around me. "I know, it was mean and I do feel guilty. But he had it coming. There have been so many pranks over the years. And I let them do it because I always share a room with him, so not only do I get pranked the most, I usually suffer any retaliation other people inflict on Emmett."

I hummed. Trouble must be inevitable when so many men traveled together.


	26. Chapter 26

Edward had two days rest before the final game of the Pacific Nations Cup. We stayed in Seattle and spent every minute together unless he was working out or training.

The afternoon before the game, Edward came home on crutches.

I ran to the door to help him inside. "What happened?"

"Twisted ankle," he said with a sigh.

"Oh no." I helped him to the couch. "What can I do?"

He pulled me down for a kiss. "Could you please get me some ice?"

I nodded and went to the kitchen to wrap some ice in a towel. When I returned, his foot was elevated on some cushions. "Does this mean you can't play?"

He scratched his eyebrow, a sign he was annoyed. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"I have scans tomorrow to find out. I'm hoping it will be just for one game."

I nodded and looked down at the towel I was balancing on his ankle. "I'm sorry."

He chuckled and took my free hand. "Don't be because now I get to sit with you for the game."

I grinned at him. "Okay, I like that. But I know how difficult it will be for you to sit in the stands and watch."

He nodded and we didn't talk about it again.

At the game, I was surprised to see a decent crowd. I was allowed to stay with Edward the whole time to be, the team physiotherapist joked, his nurse. So I followed him out onto the field five minutes before kickoff.

"Wow," I breathed. This stadium was only slightly bigger than the one in Portland but the noise of all the people made it seem huge.

Edward smiled at me as he swung himself along the sideline. "Not a bad turn out for an international test against our closest rivals."

I nodded and bit my lip as I saw the television cameras along the base of the stand.

"Stay here," he said. "I will just do this interview then we will go sit somewhere."

I nodded and stood off to the side to watch him. The cameras were all turned to focus on him and microphones were set up.

"Tell us about your injury," the first reporter called as soon as the signal was given.

Edward smiled sweetly at the man. "Just a twisted ankle. I'm resting it as a precaution."

"How will the team fare without you, do you think?" The next reporter called her question out as soon as Edward had finished speaking.

He smiled at her too. "I have every confidence in my team. Losing one player does not spell disaster. Our form is good and preparation for this game has gone well, apart from one slip-up." He gestured to his ankle with a grin which earned him a laugh from the people interviewing him. "I believe we have the best team possible, with strong pairings and excellent communication. We can win this test."

"Congratulations for the win against Japan," a reported said insincerity. "What did you make of the referee's controversial final call?"

Edward didn't react to the man's combativeness. "Thank you. I wouldn't call it controversial at all. Referees are expected to make decisions on the spot with only the information they see. Yes, a lot of people are saying he should have reviewed it, but with just a couple of minutes to go, I don't think that was realistic. I think what we should be doing is supporting our excellent officials and let them do the job they are hired to do."

"Edward, tell us about your chances in the World Cup."

I leaned forward, curious to finally hear the official spiel.

"We have a strong, determined squad who are focussed on successfully navigating our pool. I have confidence that we will give a strong showing at this tournament and this will be our most successful World Cup. We are stepping up to the challenge already and will be fierce opponents to every team we face."

A tall, muscular man stopped beside me. "Hi, I'm Jacob."

"Bella," I said with a smile.

He held out his hand to shake mine. "Are you the new press liaison for the Eagles?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm Edward's partner." I wasn't sure who Jacob was so stuck with the official title that meant I could pretty much get what I wanted, or at least explain why I was on the field.

He hummed and glanced over at Edward. "What's wrong with his ankle?"

I hesitated. Surely everyone in the Eagles team knew. Jacob must be one of the Canadians. "It's just a twisted ankle. He's resting it as a precaution."

Jacob looked disappointed. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. I'll see you around, I'm sure."

Edward came over with a wary look on his face. "Jake," he said with a nod.

"Edward," Jacob replied. "My turn?"

Edward nodded and Jacob walked over to the cameras. I followed Edward down the field and we sat in the front row of the stands, directly behind the Eagles' reserves bench.

"Who was that?" I asked when we were both comfortable.

"Jacob Black. He's a Maple Leaf."

I nodded.

"Excuse me." A young boy was leaning over from the row of seats behind us.

We both turned to look at him.

"Hello," Edward said as he took the autograph book and pen from the boy's hand. "What's your name?"

"Joey," he boy said shyly.

I smiled as I recognised the awed expression I used to have on my face when I met sports stars. The boy's dad also had the same expression my dad used to have as he watched on as I met his idols.

"It's nice to meet you, Joey," Edward said. "I hope you enjoy the game."

Joey looked like he wanted to say something so we waited as he found the courage to speak. "I hope your leg gets better."

Edward laughed. "Thank you. I promise it will be for the next game."

This seemed to satisfy Joey's curiosity and he nodded as he turned away.

Edward and I turned around too.

"Cute," I said.

Edward hummed and nodded. He wasn't affected by someone asking for his autograph at all and I wondered if it happened more than I assumed.

The game had already started so I settled against Edward's side to watch. He put his arm around my shoulders.

Being so close to him meant I could feel every time he tensed up or twitched. It was hard for him to be on the sideline. He was still playing the game in his mind and probably feeling hopeless and frustrated about not being in the middle of it all.

I put my hand on his knee and he leaned over to kiss my cheek.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered. "There's nothing worse than sitting in the stands alone."

I smiled up at him. "I can't think of anything better than watching a game with you. And I feel pretty special sitting with the captain of the Eagles."

He chuckled and squeezed my shoulders. "Don't start fangirling."

"But Edward," I said sarcastically. "You're so amazing and talented. I'm your biggest fan. I watch all your games and follow you around the country. I scream and faint every time I see you. I want to have your babies. Will you marry me?"

He chuckled and put his mouth against my ear. "I like the sound of that."

I bit my lip and felt my cheeks heat. Maybe I had gone a little too far with my joke. But I shook it off as the halftime whistle blew.

I stayed in my seat when Edward followed the team into the stands. He was still a big part of the game, even though he wasn't playing. I wondered if he would have much to add to the discussion. Maybe I shouldn't be distracting him so much.

Ten minutes later he returned.

"How did it go?" I asked as I tried to read his expression.

"Okay. It's a close game so it's not like they need a kick. I just wish I could be going out there with them."

I hummed and watched as the second half started. Whatever had been said in the locker room must have worked because a few minutes later Laurent scored a try for the Eagles. Edward and I stood up to clap and cheer.

We sat down when Jasper started lining up the conversion kick. He was close to the sideline, out wide on the wing, and I wondered if he would be able to negotiate the difficult angle. I held my breath as he stepped and kicked. The ball sailed cleanly between the posts and I clapped along with the crowd.

"He's found his form again," Edward muttered.

"Good," I said with a nod. "No more questions about his place in the team."

Edward nodded. He seemed relieved, as if Jasper's career was as important to him as his own. Just how a good captain and friend should feel.

The Eagles won the game, almost doubling Canada's score in the end. On the final whistle, I turned to hug Edward. He had managed to relax in the last few minutes and a pleased smile was on his face.

We went out onto the field to congratulate the team. Edward made sure he shook everyone's hands, including the referees. I stood back and watched as he talked. Everyone knew him and I could see the respect they all had for him.

"Did you enjoy the game?" Jacob came to stand beside me.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Pity about the final score..."

"The Eagles certainly stepped up," I replied with a shrug.

He hummed and smirked down at me. "Yes, despite not having their lauded captain. I'm sure it will turn out differently when I'm back playing..."

I had nothing to say. His ego had shocked me into silence. I didn't want to talk to someone who thought their team only lost because he wasn't playing.

He chuckled. "I'll be back in time for the World Cup. Good timing, really."

"I'm sure your Pool will be quaking in their boots."

He laughed. Edward looked up and saw us. He must have read the annoyance on my face because he came straight over.

"Hey, sweetie," he said as he put his crutches under one arm and put the other around my shoulders. "Everything okay?"

I nodded.

"We were just discussing how I will be back playing in the World Cup," Jacob said with a smirk.

Edward hummed. "Lucky you."

Jacob nodded. "Yes I am. The team is pretty glad too."

Edward didn't say anything and all I wanted to do was walk away from the conversation.

After a few silent seconds, Jacob decided to go. "Well, see you in England, Edward. Bella, nice chatting to you."

I nodded politely and watched as he walked away towards his teammates.

"That guy is a..." I cut off my insult, unsure that I wouldn't be heard. "Is he really that big of a deal?"

Edward chuckled. "Not really, no. He's a good player but too egotistical."

"Yeah I got that. He had the nerve to suggest that you're no good because the team won without you."

"Really?" Edward asked. He looked amused rather than upset. "That's why he will never be captain, even though people says he entitled to it because his grandfather was."

I nodded. "He doesn't understand that a great leader can lead his team to victory even from the sidelines."

Edward leaned down to kiss me quickly, not wanting to create a scene as he thanked me for my complement.


	27. Chapter 27

A week later, I received an email from USA Rugby. It was my itinerary with details of flights to England, hotels, and transport bookings. I read all the details while my stomach twisted with excitement.

As I picked up my phone to ring Edward, who was at the gym, a call from Alice came through.

"Did you get an email?" She asked as soon as I answered.

"Yes. My itinerary for the trip."

"Are you flying out of Sea-Tac on Friday?" She demanded.

I quickly checked my screen. "Yes. At three."

She screamed and I pulled the phone away from my ear to protect my hearing. "Me too. And Rose. We're travelling together!"

I laughed. "Yay. I'm glad. How many others?"

"Don't know."

I could hear the indifference in her voice and I smiled.

"We need to go shopping," she continued. "I need a whole new wardrobe for when we explore Europe. And I'm going to finish the dresses I'm making for us."

"Uh?" I said to interrupt. "Europe? I thought we were going to England. The games are in Brighton, Leeds, London and Gloucester." I was reading off my computer screen.

Alice giggled. "Yes, but do you know how easy it is to travel? We are over there for four weeks and all the games are in the weekend. It would be irresponsible of us to not go sightseeing during the weeks. Rose is going to email our group itinerary tonight for approval."

I was speechless. Just the opportunity to travel to England had me excited. I hadn't even considered the possibility of visiting Europe too.

"I've suggested Milan, Paris and Barcelona. Staying in Britain for the first week will be best while we acclimatise. If there's somewhere else you want to go, let us know and we can work it into the plan. See you soon, Bella."

"Bye. See you." I was still trying to get my mind around my sudden opportunity for travel. The excitement I had felt just minutes earlier was nothing to what I was feeling now.

Rose's email arrived late and Edward and I got into bed to look at it. He whistled as we scanned the list.

"That's intense."

I nodded. "Five days travelling around Britain before the first game. Four days in Italy. A whole week in Spain. But only one and a half days in Paris. Your last two games are very close together."

"Just four days apart."

"She's suggested taking road trips only in Britain."

Edward hummed. "Good idea. Most of them will just be you girls. Emmett, Jasper and I will be busy that first week with meetings and training. I have a whole lot of media to do too."

I nodded, grateful we would still be together at night but I could still explore the country. "Two days in Milan and two in Venice."

"We can get a Gondola ride through the canals."

I grinned at him. "That will be awesome. Very romantic."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"Seven days in Spain is a long time, compared to just one in Paris."

He hummed and pointed to the screen. "But she's listed too many places for just seven days. Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Pamplona, Seville, Malaga. There's no way we can do all of them."

I nodded. "I'll let them decide. I don't mind what they choose. It would be good to get more time in Paris."

"You could stay. You don't need to go to our game..."

"Yes I do!" I interrupted. "I get to go to all of the games for free. It's such a great opportunity and I'm not going to miss the last one. Anyway, that's the game against Japan and I'm pretty confident you will win it."

He chuckled and wrapped himself around me. "I love you so much, Bella."

"That's just another reason to not be in Paris without you. What's the point without the person you love?"

He kissed me deeply, twisting his tongue around mine. I hummed happily as I put the laptop aside to crawl onto his lap.


	28. Chapter 28

Alice dragged Rose and I out shopping for three days straight. We bought everything we thought we might need. I added a USA Rugby jersey to my purchases and earned rolled eyes from the others. They told me I was going as a partner and that was enough support without wearing the jersey. I replied that I was as much a fan as I was a partner and I would be wearing the jersey with pride at every opportunity.

Alice giggled as we went into her boutique. "I hope you don't wear it over the dress I've made. Or maybe I should just sew a skirt onto a jersey."

We followed her into the workroom out the back. On three dress forms hung three dresses. I was drawn to the dark blue one. It had a sweetheart neckline and pencil skirt with a metal zip down the front. I turned around to grin at Alice. "This is amazing. Thank you."

Alice nodded and we turned to see Rose stroking a red sequinned dress. It was flashy material but simple design and I could see it was going to fit her perfectly.

"Red, white and blue?" Rose said as she looked at the white dress in the middle.

Alice giggled. "Yes. I was feeling patriotic. At least it might mean Bella won't wear her jersey."

I laughed as I looked at Alice's dress. It was like a fairy costume, with a skirt made of petals of fabric under a glittering bodice.

We took our dresses home with instructions to pack them carefully. I had a hard time getting all my new things into my suitcase. Edward watched and chuckled at my cursing. He didn't have any trouble with his.

Friday arrived with an excited restlessness twisting in my stomach.

Dad took the day off work to drive us to the airport. "Have a great time," he said as he dropped us off.

I hugged him and kissed his cheek. "We will. Thanks, Dad."

Dad hummed as he shook Edward's hand. "Be safe."

"No problem, Charlie. I will look after Bella."

Dad nodded and gave me another hug before he got into the car and drove away.

Edward and I walked into the terminal. Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett were all there. I hugged them all.

Then it was time for the long flight to England. As soon as we were in the air, Edward offered me one of his earbuds. I took it and smiled at our flying routine. He spread a blanket over us and I cuddled against his side.

I had just closed my eyes when a simple beat started and a voice crooned, "You let me violate you." I took Edward's phone from him to see what was playing. The screen said "Closer by Nine Inch Nails."

I looked up at Edward and raised my eyebrows in question.

He chuckled and pressed his lips to my free ear. "Don't you like this song?"

He was teasing me. I hummed as I listened to the sexy words. "It makes me feel horny," I whispered back before flicking his earlobe with my tongue.

He moaned and put his hand on my waist under the blanket. His fingers pressed against bare skin. We completely forgot where we were and our mouths came together. The song kept playing in our ears as we kissed. His hand worked its way higher under my shirt until he was rubbing his fingertips across my hardening nipple.

I moaned softly.

Then there was a tap on my shoulder. Jasper was leaning over us from the row behind. "Cool it, guys. There's still eight hours to go before we land."

I sighed and sat back in my seat. "Damn it."

Edward gave me a half smile. "Sorry, sweetie."

I giggled. "Don't ever be sorry about kissing me. You know I love it."

He hummed and pulled me back against his side. Then he found my wrist under the blanket. He put my hand on his thigh and I felt his erection under my palm. "You know I love it too..."

I hummed and rubbed the long, hard length.

"Fuck," he muttered and hid his face in my hair. "Don't stop."

I adjusted the blanket so no one would see my movement and kept rubbing. He shifted uncomfortably and I felt his erection shift under my hand.

"I'm going to make you comfortable," I whispered as I undid the top dome of his jeans.

He didn't stop me, so I undid the rest and pulled his cock out. I checked no one was paying us any attention and wrapped my fist around it. He let out a hiss as my fingers tightened around the head.

I kept my strokes slow and long to avoid attention and he muffled his grunts and moans against my neck. It took a long time for his orgasm to finally arrive. When I felt the first pulse, I moved my hands to the head and collected his cum in my palms. He grunted a few times as his body tensed and released through his climax.

"Shit," he muttered when he was finally finished.

He got me some tissues from my bag to clean up with and I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. When I got back, he had a sleepy smile on his face. I climbed back under the blanket and cuddled against his side.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered.

I chuckled at his post-orgasm sweetness. "I love you too."

We listened to his music some more and fell asleep pressed against each other.

A couple of hours later, I woke up to the smell of food. The flight attendants were handing out dinner and drinks.

Edward had also woken up and was rubbing his stomach with a frown. "I'm so hungry."

I giggled. "Worked up an appetite, have you?"

He hummed in agreement and leaned over to kiss me. "Watch out if they don't have enough food, I might have to eat you..."

He glanced down my body and it felt like his eyes were kindling to the heat I always felt for him. I bit my lip and looked away. We were suddenly way too far away from England and our hotel room for my liking.

Our meals were delivered and we ate in silence. We shared the two meals and fed each other occasional bites. As usual with airline food, it was all very tasteless and nowhere near enough. When it was all gone, Edward grinned at me and I knew he was thinking about eating me out as much as I was. I blushed and sighed with frustration.

"You okay, sweetie?" He asked as he leaned in to kiss my neck.

I put my fingers in his hair and held him against me in reply.

He chuckled and licked my skin before pulling away.

When our food trays were cleared away, Edward opened our window screen and pulled me back against his chest so we could watch the sunrise together. He put his arms around me and I sighed happily. The sun rose slowly and he must have gotten bored because one of his hands lifted my shirt so his fingers could caress my stomach, making circles over my skin and under the waistband of my jeans.

I adjusted the blanket to make sure I was covered and no one would see what he was doing. "What are you doing?" I asked quietly.

He shushed me just as quietly as he popped open my pants. His fingers brushed over my panties and I changed my position to hook my knee over the armrest beside me. My centre was open for him.

He hummed his thanks as his fingers moved lower on my panties. "What colour?"

"Pink," I murmured.

He hummed again and shifted in his seat. Then he moved the crotch of my panties aside and his finger slipped into my folds. He stroked from the front to the back and pushed the tip of his finger inside me before returning to circle my clit.

I felt his touch through my entire body. The only way I could stop myself from moaning was by holding on tight to his arm across my chest and biting my lip. I focussed on breathing steadily and deeply as my insides twisted and burned.

His circles over my sensitive parts sped up and the muscles between my legs fluttered.

"Fuck," I breathed. My climax was close.

He hummed against my ear. "Come, sweetie."

My back pressed hard against him as my legs began to shake. I closed my eyes and tasted blood from my lip. My hips lifted off the seat as my orgasm slowly washed through my body. He stopped moving his finger and plunged two inside me to feel my muscles rhythmically contracting.

I let out a long, slow breath that I had been holding as I became light headed. The urge to moan was strong but I fought it, instead hissing "yes..." quietly.

Edward hummed and kissed the side of my head as he removed his hand from my pants. I sat up and turned to smile at him. He hummed as I leaned in to kiss him. Then I laid my head against his chest to wait for the plane to land.

Our hotel in Brighton was very fancy. Each couple had their own room and the single guys were paired up in twin rooms which meant the team occupied the whole hotel. It felt like we were one big family living together. Every time I left out room I would see Edward's teammates and their partners. Most people left their doors open so as you past you might be drawn into conversations. Everyone was very friendly and I felt like I had gained a whole lot of new friends.

Alice, Rose and I weren't the only ones planning to explore the country and Europe. Many of our planned adventures around Britain ended up including most of the WAGs and we were allowed to take the team bus.

The night before the opening ceremony was Edward's first official commitment that I was invited to. All the team captains and coaches were to attend a dinner with the top officials. I wore my new dress and Alice and Rose came to help me with my hair and make up.

"I'm so nervous," I said as I watched Alice curl my hair in the mirror.

She smiled at me. "Don't be. Edward will look after you."

I sighed. "I know he will but what if I have to talk about rugby? I don't know much."

Rose laughed. "You know plenty, more than the rest of us."

I hummed. It was true. Of all the Eagles' WAGs I was the most enthusiastic about the game by far. "But I'm meeting people from other countries that love rugby. Surely I'm going to know the least."

"I'm sure it won't matter," Alice said. "I'm also sure at least one of the women will be so sick of rugby talk she will be grateful to have something else to talk about."

I nodded. I could just find another subject to talk about. "Will everyone talk? Aren't they all supposed to be enemies? Maybe there will be hostile people."

"I doubt it," Rose said as she put gloss on my lips. "Rugby players generally leave the rivalry on the field. You will find that players, especially the captains, are actually really good friends."

Alice was nodding. "The only difficulty will be communicating with people who don't speak English."

I bit my lips as I thought of Jacob. He didn't seem very friendly with Edward, even off the field. "What about the Eagles' direct competition. The Canadians or teams in the same Pool?"

Alice shrugged. "The Maple Leafs' captain is nice. Jasper and I had dinner with him after a game a couple of years ago."

I looked at her with surprise. "Dinner? Like socialising?"

She nodded. "As we said, they are all really good friends off the field. It's the fans who can't let the rivalry and competition go."

I relaxed and felt a lot better after their reassurances.


	29. Chapter 29

We got a taxi to London. It was a long drive and my nerves returned. I was used to the Eagles' WAGs who were very normal, friendly women. My old fear of plastic, orange, dramatic WAGs that I had seen on television had returned.

I was grateful that I had Edward and Coach with me as we walked into the restaurant. We were shown into a private conference room. There were a lot of people already there and I let out a relieved sigh. There were no monstrous women.

All the men were very large and obviously sportsmen. Even the coaches were big men, essential in such a physical job. The difference between the two groups came down to age, although even that wasn't easy. Many of the captains were senior players in experience and years. I felt very out of place being only twenty-two. Edward seemed to be the youngest captain too.

I was relieved when we were finally seated at the table. To my left was Edward and a blonde woman sat on my right. She smiled warmly at me as we sat. Coach was opposite us.

"Where's your wife?" a loud man asked coach as the food was delivered.

Coach nodded to the man in greeting. "She's back in the States looking after her mother."

The loud man nodded. "My wife didn't come either. It's good not to have the distraction."

Coach shrugged. "I don't think wives, or partners, are a distraction. They are key contributors to our Rugby World Cup campaign. It is great to have loved ones and the people that know us the best here. It's important."

I could feel my cheeks heating up. This opinion was new to me and I hadn't realised anyone saw WAGs as important.

"But," Coach continued. "Also having the understanding that there are times when we have to go to where we have to go, to be a rugby player. And as long as that still happens, which it does, and everyone is well aware of that. Then there are no problems."

The blonde next to me was nodding as she listened. "That's what our coach says too."

I turned to her as other conversations started around the table. "Where are you from?"

"New Zealand," she said with a smile. "You?"

"United States. I'm Bella."

She shook my hand. "Gemma. This is my partner, Richie."

I leaned across her to shake his hand too. "Nice to meet you." I blushed as my voice broke with nerves. The hand I had just touched belonged to the captain of the best rugby team in the world. I was more than a little star struck.

Richie turned away to talk to someone else, leaving Gemma and I to talk.

"I'm new to all this..." I said with a laugh.

She laughed too. "No worries, we are all pretty friendly."

I nodded. "I've seen that. I keep expecting women like those horrible ones on television."

She laughed and shook her head. "I've never met anyone like that. At least, not actual partners. It's the groupies that resemble them."

"Groupies?" I said with horror. "Rugby groupies?"

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, sad isn't it? I guess you have been spared up until now. Rugby isn't as popular in the States."

I shook my head. "Virtually unknown."

"Lucky," she said with a shake of her head. "In New Zealand, Richie is treated like a superstar. Or a movie star, I guess. He might be the most well known person in the world in New Zealand. Even over here he can't escape it."

"Wow," I breathed. "Does he have many groupies?"

She laughed. "The whole country is in love with him, so yes he does. They even want to make him Prime Minister and create a new bank note to put his face on. But it's the young women that make it difficult." She said 'women' like she wanted to say 'sluts' or 'whores'.

"Tell me..." I said.

She sighed. "You know the hype around musicians? Like One Direction or Justin Bieber. He gets that but not from teens, mostly from young twenty-somethings. Women who want to hook up with him just because he's famous. Just so they can tell everyone they did it."

"Just like movie stars in the States. I'm guessing stories come out about it that aren't true too?"

She nodded sadly. "We have a strong relationship so it doesn't affect us but it makes things difficult. What makes me angry, though, is how brazen they can be. The players will go out after a game for a few drinks and to socialise and these women think they are fair game. They think they can flirt and drape themselves over the guys. They have no respect or boundaries." Gemma made a frustrated sound. "I know that a lot of the guys have gotten into trouble because of it and because they are too polite to tell the women to fuck off."

I hummed. "I'm sure there are some players who like it too."

She nodded. "Yes there are and that's fine. But the 'what happens on tour stays on tour' mentality doesn't apply to the rest. But the women think it does."

I hummed. Gemma seemed really frustrated and I was glad I hadn't come across women like she had. "That makes me very grateful to live in a country that doesn't like rugby."

She hummed. "As I said, you're lucky. But you're over here now so keep an eye on Edward."

I nodded but I was confident Edward wouldn't get attention like that, even at the World Cup.

We drove back to Brighton that night. I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as I was wrapped in Edward's arms in our bed.

Three days later, Edward had his first game. I had hardly seen him since the dinner. He had training and work outs every morning. Every afternoon was booked solid with meetings and press conferences. He even travelled around to do interviews with radio stations and local television stations. Each night, we would fall into bed together, catch up for a few minutes, then fall asleep.

The day of the game was no different. He woke up early to go to the Captain's Run and I went to spend the day with Alice and Rose. An hour before kickoff, the team bus took us all to the stadium.

I gasped when we were shown into our box. We were at the top of a huge stand. The field was completely surrounded, enclosed by three-tiers of seating. As far as I could see the stadium was full with thousands of people in the seats. Even the other boxes were in use and there were too many to count. I was in complete awe.

"Bella, sweetheart."

I turned around to see Esme and Carlisle walking into the box. Esme opened her arms and I stepped into her hug.

"How are you?"

"Great. When did you get here?" I gave Carlisle a quick hug too.

"We arrived this afternoon." Esme stroked my hair. "Are you having a good vacation?"

I nodded and grinned. "We have been to see so many places. Castles, museums, art galleries, prisons, palaces, ruins... It's been incredible."

She was beaming at me. "That's good to hear. Take advantage of being over here."

"And take advantage of USA Rugby," I said with a giggle.

Esme and Carlisle chuckled and nodded.

"Edward has been busy though. He hasn't been able to see anything yet."

Esme nodded. "Don't worry about him. All this hype and attention is good for him. I'm sure he's loving it."

Alice and Rose came over with drinks for us all. Esme hugged both of them.

We talked about our plans for Italy until the game started. Esme and Carlisle had been several times so had plenty of activity recommendations.

"How long are you here for?" I asked after we had watched the first half of the game together.

"Just this game," Carlisle said with a smile. "We are flying out in the morning so we can start our safari tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh," I said sadly. "I was hoping you would be here for a while with us."

Esme smiled and patted my cheek. "Sweet girl. We would stay longer but we know you have your own plans."

I shrugged. "You could come with us."

She chuckled. "You don't want us old people tagging along. Anyway, we have been to Italy. We haven't been on a safari yet."

I nodded. "Edward will be happy you're here."

"We try to go to as many games as we can. We went to every one of them last time in New Zealand so we feel less guilty about missing most of these ones. Also, we know he has you to support him this time so he doesn't need us."

I blushed. It was still strange and new being so important to someone and have everyone acknowledging it. "Do you want to do something tonight? Dinner? Sight seeing?"

"We will see Edward after the game but just for a few minutes. Then we have to go. Short and sweet."

I nodded. We watched the second half and I realised this was the first time I had watched Edward's games with other people. Carlisle would occasionally frown or smile, depending on what was happening. Esme was more vocal. She talked about what was happening a lot and even cursed at the referee when he penalised the Eagles. I giggled at her language but it was nice to know they loved the game as much as Edward and I did.

After the final whistle, we watched as the players stayed on the field. They spent a lot of time signing autographs and taking photos. There were a lot of fans but I assumed they were fans of rugby rather than of the Eagles.

When the teams eventually finished, we got shown down to a function room. Edward was standing near the door and reached for me when I walked in.

I put my arms around his neck. "Well done," I whispered.

"Thanks," he replied. Then he looked up. "Hi, Mom, Dad."

I stepped back so he could hug his parents.

"Good game," Carlisle said with a proud smile.

Edward grinned and blushed a little. "Thanks. I'm glad you could come to see me play."

"Sorry we can't go to more," Esme said.

Edward pulled me against his side and squeezed my shoulders. "It's okay."

I smiled widely and Esme grinned at me.

Later, the team and partners all went out to relax and have a few drinks. Brighton had welcomed us warmly and the pub the team chose to drink at treated us like honoured guests.

The locals were friendly and happy to chat with the players and a few of them seemed to have adopted the team as their own, albeit second to their England team.

I sat in a corner with Alice and Rose and a few others. We watched as the men relaxed after a hard game. "They seem happy even though they lost," I said as I watched Edward and Jasper singing along to the pub's music with a group of old men.

Rose nodded. "Just being part of the World Cup is enough to celebrate."

I nodded. "They don't have much confidence of winning any games."

Alice laughed. "Keep expectations low and never be disappointed."

We all laughed. Our men were happy so we were happy and we were going to fly to Italy in just a few hours.


	30. Chapter 30

The next day, the whole team moved North to Leeds in preparation for the next game. We were staying in another nice hotel but three beds wouldn't be used. Alice, Jasper, Rose, Emmett, Edward and I all left for Milan that night.

In Milan we spent two days shopping. Alice was in heaven and the rest of us tolerated her excitement. In between shops, we ate Italian food and visited old buildings.

Then we went to Venice. The first day was spent on a small boat Rose had hired. We drifted slowly around the canals, looking at all the buildings, kissing as we went under bridges, and eating Italian delicacies. For the whole day, I sat leaning against Edward, with his arm around me, warm in the sun, feeling the happiest I had ever felt.

The next day we took a walking tour around the old buildings and piazzas. It was fun being a tourist and buying souvenirs.

Then we flew back to England.

Edward's next game was at an even bigger stadium. The crowd were mostly there to support Scotland. I was wearing possibly the only Eagles jersey in the whole stadium. But there were some people waving the Stars and Stripes in the stands and I wondered if they were actually Americans or just British who decided to support our team.

After the game, we all went out for a drink again. This time the pub chosen was a lot bigger and there were plenty of locals inside. It was difficult to move around so, once again, I found myself in a corner with the other WAGs. There was a lot of excitement in the pub when the locals realised that a World Cup team had arrived and I watched as the players were slapped on the back and hands were shaken.

As it got later in the night, the crowd in the pub changed. The older, more social drinkers left and younger people arrived looking for a party. The lights were dimmed and the music was turned up. One corner became a dance floor complete with disco lights and a DJ behind a desk.

Somehow, the team stayed the centre of attention, probably because rugby was so popular in this country, no matter how old the people were. Rounds of drinks were bought for them and they were pulled onto the dance floor.

I watched all of it with a nervous weight in my stomach and Gemma's words started to come back to me. But I took my lead from Rose. I knew that she would be happy to step in if anyone got too friendly and she was calmly sitting opposite me, sipping her cocktail.

Later, I went to use the restroom and sighed happily at the relative quiet of the empty room. But it wasn't empty for long. I heard the door open and heels walking across the floor.

"So hot," a voice said.

Another person giggled. "Super hot."

The first voice sighed. "Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

There was another giggle from the second person. "Or a wife..."

"Should I try?"

"Why not. You've got nothing to lose."

I stepped out and the two women stopped talking. They watched me in the mirror as they put more makeup on and I washed my hands.

"Nice jersey," one of them said with a smirk.

I smiled back despite the hostility and looked at her very tight and very short dress. "Thanks."

I left the room to the sound of giggling.

Back in the pub, the team were beginning to leave. The bus was parked outside. Edward put his arm around my shoulders as we walked outside. He smelled of alcohol and wasn't very steady on his feet.

"How much did you drink?" I asked with a laugh as he pulled me into his lap on the back seat.

He chuckled. "Just a few..."

I hummed in disbelief as he put his face against my neck. He started kissing and licking at my skin. One of his hands made its way under my clothes and he stroked my back.

I giggled as he tugged at the back of my bra. "Stop it, Edward. Wait until we get to the hotel."

He hummed and let go but his fingers kept exploring my skin. I played with the hair hanging down the back of his collar.

"Kiss me," he whispered as he pulled away from my neck.

I leaned in to press my lips lightly against his. He pouted as I pulled away.

I laughed at his disappointed expression. "You can have more once you don't smell like you bathed in alcohol."

He frowned and opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by the bus arriving at the hotel. I took his hand and led him to our room. He was still weaving and stumbled as we walked through the door. I smiled indulgently at him as I guided him into the bathroom. He leaned against the wall as I stripped his suit off. Then I took off my own clothes because I was going to have to wash him.

He hummed as I got naked. "So fucking sexy."

I giggled. "Thank you. You're not bad yourself."

"We are going to make sexy babies."

I laughed loudly. He was hilarious when he was drunk, even if calling babies sexy was slightly strange.

"I want to have sex with you," he said as I rubbed soap into his chest.

"Okay," I replied with a laugh. "As soon as we're done here."

I wasn't sure he would be able to with so much alcohol in his blood stream but there was no point saying anything. We would see what he could do when we were done. He started to help me spread the soap over his body but his enthusiasm didn't match his coordination.

"Let me," I said.

He hummed in defeat and stood still as I finished. I rinsed him off and wrapped a towel around him then led him to the bed. He crawled under the covers and was asleep as soon as his head was comfortable on the pillows. I got in beside him and kissed his face before falling asleep too.

I was woken up by a groan the next morning. Edward was sitting beside me with his face in his hands.

"Fuck, my head hurts," he whispered. I laughed and he shushed me.

"Sorry," I whispered. "Would you like something?"

He nodded and groaned again as his grip on his head tightened. "Fuck."

I got up and brought him a glass of water and a couple of pain killers. He swallowed them and fell back against the pillows.

"How much did I drink?"

"You said just a couple," I replied with a giggle.

"A couple of kegs," he said with another groan.

I hummed. "You're cute when you're drunk."

He cracked an eye open to look at me. "Really?"

I nodded and smiled as I leaned in to kiss him.

He pulled back from the kiss and sighed. "I'm glad I didn't put you off me."

"Never. Although I would prefer you didn't call our future children sexy."

He groaned and the eye closed tight. "Oh, fuck me. What did I say?"

I giggled again. "Not much, really. And there was definitely no fucking."

He pulled me down into his arms and I put my head on his chest. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I shouldn't drink so much."

I stroked my palm across his chest. "You were having fun. It's okay. I don't mind looking after you."

He sighed. "I'm so lucky to have you. I love you."

I kissed his chest. "I love you, too."

We stayed in bed until we had to get up to pack and leave for London. Edward was still hungover but he had company in his misery. Most of the team had drunk too much. It was a quiet drive to the capital.

London was very busy. A lot of popular games with the top ranked teams were being played there so the city was packed with supporters, fans and the teams. Everywhere we went we encountered crowds of people.

I was glad to leave it all behind and fly to Spain. We flew to Asturias airport, hired an RV and drove along the coast until we found an empty beach. Then we stayed there, lying in the sun, swimming, and drinking and eating until we had to go back to England. All the places on the itinerary to visit were forgotten. It was relaxing and romantic. Every night Edward and I would wander away from the group to find somewhere private. I would always wear a skirt and no underwear and I would ride his cock until we both came. Then he would hold me and we would talk as we looked at the stars.

I didn't want to leave but Edward, Emmett and Jasper started getting restless. Their conversations were all about the game against South Africa. We all knew the longest, and most enjoyable, of our holidays was over.

The game against South Africa was the biggest game the Eagles were going to play at this World Cup. South Africa were top of the Pool with no one threatening their position. It wasn't likely that the Eagles would win, or even score many points, but the team was still buzzing with excitement.

The stadium was huge, the biggest yet, and as with all the games, every seat had been sold. I stood looking out of the corporate box in wonder at the popularity of rugby.

After the game, security guards escorted us down to the field. I was excited about looking up at the stands and seeing the stadium from Edward's point of view. The WAGs stood in a group while the players talked to the fans.

"Look at those girls," Alice said and giggled as she tilted her head.

Rose and I looked and saw two girls wearing Eagles jerseys which had been cut and sewn to reveal their cleavage and stomachs. They also had red, white and blue ribbons in their hair and face paint plastered on their faces. I laughed as they flirted shamelessly with each of the players who came near.

"They aren't even getting autographs," Rose growled.

"Don't, Rose," Alice said quietly. "They just look pathetic. You don't want to make a scene."

I nodded my agreement but stopped when they called to Edward. Suddenly they were asking for autographs. On their bodies. From my man.

"Rose, what sort of scene would you like to make. I will support you..."

"Bella..." Alice protested. "Don't encourage her and you don't really want that. What are those girls going to do? Jump the fence and drag him off?"

I growled and turned around. "Okay. I know. I just won't watch."

Alice nodded her approval.


	31. Chapter 31

Suddenly the two girls were asking for autographs. On their bodies. From my man.

"Rose, what sort of scene would you like to make. I will support you..."

"Bella..." Alice protested. "Don't encourage her and you don't really want that. What are those girls going to do? Jump the fence and drag him off?"

I growled and turned around. "Okay. I know. I just won't watch."

Alice nodded her approval.

Eventually we were able to leave and I sat with Edward on the bus. The South African team had invited the Eagles to their hotel bar for a celebratory drink so we only had a few minutes to talk.

"Good game," I said with a sympathetic smile because they had lost it badly.

He shrugged. "It was okay. We did our best against one of the best teams."

"I know. You loved playing them anyway because you like a challenge..."

He hummed and pulled me in for a kiss.

"Easy isn't your style, is it?"

"Depends on what you're talking about," he said with a cheeky grin and a glance at my boobs.

I frowned and crossed my arms. We were stopping at the hotel so I had no time left to finish the conversation.

But as we walked inside, Edward pulled me to the side. "What's going on, sweetie?"

I sighed. "It's silly."

"It's not," he said in a no-nonsense tone. "Whatever it is, it's upsetting you so it isn't silly. And I need to know what it is so I can make it go away and make you happy again."

I wrapped my arms around him and put my cheek to his chest. "I'm worried about other girls. There are some groupies hanging around and they make me nervous."

He chuckled. "Groupies?"

I nodded and looked up at his face so he could see I was being serious. "Those girls at the game in the Eagles jerseys... The ones who got you to sign their boobs..."

"Oh," he said. "Yes, I remember. But they shouldn't make you nervous."

I sighed. "I know but I feel plain and boring compared." I pulled at the neck of my own jersey which hadn't been modified at all.

He chuckled. "You're far from plain and boring. You're beautiful and sexy. This jersey you're wearing makes me think of you wearing my jersey, in my bed, and the fun we have had." His eyes had darkened as he thought about our nights together and all the times he had fucked me in his jersey.

I stretched up to kiss his lips and he put a hand in my hair to hold me against him.

"Don't even think about those girls or any others. You're the one I love and the only one I want. And later tonight I'm going to take you to our bed and remind you how much I love you."

I shivered at the unspoken intentions he had. "Okay. Let's go." I kissed him again before taking his hand and going to get a drink.

The hotel was huge and the bar matched its size. Despite the size of the two teams and all their management and partners, we were just a small portion of the patrons drinking.

Edward and I joined Emmett and Jasper to order drinks. Then we made our way over to Rose and Alice who were sitting with the other WAGs from both teams.

The guys left us to our conversations and went to talk about rugby with the rest of the men. The women stayed in our group but slowly the players spread through the room. The general public were keen on chatting with them and drawing them into different conversations as they introduced them to more people.

A few hours later, I excused myself to go to the restroom and Alice and Rose followed. We were alone in the lavish room for only a minute before the door opened.

My eyes opened wide in shock as I saw the two girls from after the game walk in. Both Alice and Rose were looking at me in the mirror, questions in their eyes. I shook my head to tell them to not worry. I wasn't feeling as hostile towards them after talking to Edward.

"Tanya," one of them said as they tottered in on their heels. "I can't believe our luck."

The other, Tanya, laughed. "It's not luck, Irina. It's all about planning and instinct."

Irina giggled. "What are you going to do?"

"Wait," Tanya said haughtily. "He will come to me. I know it."

I hadn't moved, even to breathe, since they had started talking. I didn't know who they were talking about but my instinct told me it was Edward.

Tanya looked at me for the first time as she checked her face in the mirror. "Oh, hi. We met in Leeds. At the pub where the Eagles were. I liked your jersey... So much that I got my own." She turned back to the mirror and pulled at her collar to make sure her cleavage was on show. There was a scribble of black pen high on one side. It was illegible. I could see an E and a C in it only because I knew Edward always signed his initials.

I cleared my throat. I remembered her and her friend even though I didn't recognise them through the face paint. "Yes, I remember."

Tanya laughed. "The Eagles are hot, don't you think? We probably have a chance, too, they don't have many fans so we will get noticed."

I watched as she layered on lipgloss, unable to think of something to say in reply.

"I'm sure even you could score one," Tanya said as she looked me up and down. "Just make sure you don't go after the captain. That ass is mine."

Both she and Irina giggled.

"I'm pretty sure that ass is taken," Alice said from the corner. She could see I was too shocked and angry to think of anything to say. I smiled at her in the mirror.

But Tanya just giggled again and blew us all a kiss as she left.

"Fuck," I growled when the door swung shut.

Rose and Alice came to stand on either side of me.

"Fuck," I said again.

Rose hummed. "What do you need? Want me to hang, draw and quarter them for you?"

I laughed despite the anger boiling inside me at her reference to English customs from years ago. She had been particularly drawn to stories and legends that involved gore on our excursions.

Alice grinned at us in the mirror. "Or we could let them embarrass themselves. I'm confident we will be able to sit back and enjoy the show without doing a thing."

I nodded. "Okay. As much as I would love to slap one of them, I don't think I could."

Rose let out a disappointed sigh. "I could teach you how..."

I laughed and gave her a hug. "You might still get your chance. We will wait and see."

We left the restroom and returned to the other WAGs. I kept my eyes on Edward for the rest of the night and saw how he completely failed to notice the two girls gravitating around him and striking poses that were supposed to attract him. I very quickly went from feeling intense anger towards them to just mild amusement at their expense.

When the team left the hotel, I stayed in the middle of a group. I didn't want the two girls seeing me anywhere near Edward just yet.

I climbed onto his lap when we were in the privacy of the bus and kissed him deeply.

He chuckled when I pulled away breathless. "What was that for?"

I bit my lip and ran my fingers through his hair. "You promised you would show me how much you love me..."

He hummed and pulled me closer. "I remember. I've been thinking about it all night." He put my hand onto his erection and moaned as I gave it a squeeze.

When we got to our room I dragged him into the bedroom. He came willingly with a happy smile on his face. I stopped and pulled him by his tie in for a kiss. My mouth opened as I pressed as close as I could get to him. His hands went to my butt and squeezed.

I pulled at his clothes and together we got them off in record time. Then he helped me get naked too. I pushed him by the shoulders to the edge of the bed and got him to sit. He was still grinning at me as I took complete control.

His cock was very hard. I took it in my hand as I climbed on to straddle him and rubbed the head through my folds.

"Wet," he whispered and clutched at my hips.

I hummed and positioned him at my entrance. Then I slowly lowered myself down his length until my centre was pressed against him.

He sighed happily and leaned down to kiss my neck and across my collarbones to my other shoulder. I moved over him, swinging my hips and lifting myself up, until my leg muscles burned as hot as my insides. Then he took over, lifting me by my hips, up and down his cock. I held onto his arms as they flexed and the muscles bulged.

"So good," he muttered as he watched my boobs bounce.

I let go with one hand and lifted my breast to his mouth. He hummed as he licked the nipple and sucked it into his mouth. He got distracted and moved both hands to my chest, leaving me to flex my hips.

His cock was deep inside me and stroking sensitive places with each movement of my hips. My clit was pressed against his skin and getting rubbed thoroughly. I moaned loudly as my orgasm crested and my body spasmed.

Edward became still as my centre contracted around his cock and my nipple fell from his mouth. He pulled me close to kiss him hard. "Good?" He asked when my muscles finally relaxed.

I hummed and nodded, everything but the man between my thighs forgotten. "So good."

He kissed me all over my face with smiling lips. "Am I allowed to take over now?"

I bit my lip and looked into his dilated eyes. "Sorry. I just needed you..."

"I know. You can be in charge any time you want. It's fucking hot."

I giggled. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said with a cheeky grin.

Then he held my butt tight and stood up to turn us around. I put my arms around his neck and gasped at his strength. Then he lowered us slowly to the bed and brought my legs up to rest against his chest. I was bent in half under him with his cock deeper inside than it had ever been before. He thrusted into me and our skin made loud slapping noises. I reached down to hold onto his hips and pull him hard against me with every thrust.

It didn't take him long to find his orgasm and he dropped his head to my chest as he grunted and twitched.

He sighed happily as he rolled off me and pulled me into his arms. "I love having sex with you," he said sleepily.

I hummed my agreement. "Me too. Best I've ever had." I didn't bother adding that it was so far beyond my other experiences that it seemed stupid to compare. With Edward the mutual care and love that we shared meant as much as the pleasure. Also, he knew how to make me come every time.

"By far," he said and kissed my temple. "Past and future."

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, Bella." His breathing was already slowing and he was asleep only seconds after his last word.

I was quick to follow.


	32. Chapter 32

Paris was our next holiday destination. We flew there early the next morning, determined to make the most of the two days available before the next rugby game. The hotel we were staying in was in the middle of the city and we wandered around seeing the sights after we checked in.

Rose insisted on climbing the Eiffel Tower and Alice was determined to visit every shop we passed as we walked along Champs Élysées.

The three boys were more interested in eating their weight in bread and cheese. Because they only had one game left, the team's nutritionist didn't seem to have any control anymore.

All of us were caught up in the romance of the city. Edward was kissing me at every opportunity as were the others with their partners.

"I would totally propose to you right now," Jasper sighed to Alice as we sat on the grass near the Eiffel Tower.

Alice hummed and smiled happily as she relaxed against him. "I know. But I liked how you asked me at my runway show..."

He hummed and kissed her cheek. "Doesn't matter now, you're all mine."

She giggled. "Old married couple now... We will have to live vicariously through our friends."

They both grinned at Rose, Emmett, Edward and I.

"Fuck no," Rose said. "Not here. This would be so cheesy. Every time you told the story, people would either vomit or wonder if it was just the place that made you propose. Personal and meaningful is what I want. And not yet, I'm too young."

Emmett was nodding, either in agreement or because he was taking thorough mental notes.

Then they looked at me. I shrugged. "I agree. But I haven't thought about it much." I bit my lip and met Edward's eyes. "It's too soon, anyway, isn't it?"

Yes, we were in love and having fun together. But we hadn't been together long enough to really know each other.

He smiled and nodded. "Living together and stuff like that needs to come first. Maybe getting a pet..."

I laughed and nodded. We were thinking the same thing. More time was needed before major commitments.

Alice sighed dramatically. "Damn it."

We flew back to England for the last Eagles game. The team were confident despite loosing badly to South Africa. They were playing Japan and the last time the two teams had played in the Pacific Nations Cup, it had been a close one. I didn't bother dampening their spirits by mentioning the fact that Japan were playing so well they had bet South Africa earlier in the World Cup.

The test was held at a smaller stadium with a smaller capacity. But it was still a huge and noisy crowd. I watched the game, determined to enjoy the last one and soak up an atmosphere I probably wouldn't experience again for a while.

After the game, we were shown down to the field to join the celebrations again. The WAGs stood in a group in the middle of the field as the teams signed autographs. I glared around the crowd, trying to see if the two whores were there. There was no sign of them and I was glad I didn't have to deal with my insecurities.

"Jessica Stanley." We all turned around to see Mike down on one knee.

Jess let out an excited squeal and pressed her hands over her mouth.

"I love you to the moon and back, Jess," Mike continued as the rest of us stepped back to watch. "I can't and won't live without you. I want you to have my babies and grow old with me. Will you marry me?"

Tears were streaming down Jess' face as she nodded. "Yes. I will."

Mike stood up and handed her a small box. She opened it and slipped the large diamond ring onto her finger. Then they hugged and kissed as we all clapped.

Jess showed us her ring as Mike was congratulated with back slaps and hand shakes.

"Let's go celebrate," Mike said.

Everyone cheered and we left the field. The men had to shower and dress. While we waited on the bus, Jess entertained us with details about the wedding she had secretly been planning since she met Mike.

We went to the hotel bar rather than finding a local place. Everyone was thinking about the flight home the next day and how exhausting the World Cup had been.

There weren't many people there when we arrived so it only took me a few seconds to spot two girls I had hoped to never see again. "Oh, fuck me," I muttered. "I need a strong drink."

Rose and Alice had also seen the girls so escorted me straight to the bar.

"We need shots," Rose announced to the bartender. "Tequila to start please and then we will let you know."

We each had three shots before Alice put a stop to it. "No more. I can't do anymore if I don't want to pass out. Remember, we are not going to make a scene."

Rose and I reluctantly agreed and ordered cocktails to drink slowly over in the corner. We settled into the comfortable chairs.

I sighed. "I don't know if I can do this."

Alice patted my knee reassuringly.

Tanya and Irina were still at their table across the room from us. They were talking with their heads bent close together. Neither of them were wearing face paint or ribbons or rugby jerseys this time, instead going for tight, revealing dresses. Every few minutes they would pull at the hem or the neckline to check their clothes were in place. It looked like they were very uncomfortable but they were determined to get attention and what they were wearing would definitely work on some men.

But not mine. Edward was deep in conversation with several of his teammates. He pretended to jump in the air before clutching his face in mock pain, making everyone around him laugh. I smiled happily, knowing that he was mine and we would get into bed together later and I didn't need to worry about stupid whores taking him away.


	33. Chapter 33

Edward was deep in conversation with several of his teammates. He pretended to jump in the air before clutching his face in mock pain, making everyone around him laugh. I smiled happily, knowing that he was mine and we would get into bed together later and I didn't need to worry about stupid whores taking him away.

"Is it warm in here?" I asked as I admired Edward's body.

Rose laughed. "Either that or you've already had too much to drink."

I giggled and put my cocktail on the table.

"What did you think about the proposal?" Alice asked us.

Rose snorted. "Tacky but I'm glad he finally did it."

Alice nodded. "It's been a long time coming."

"But there's a bit of time pressure on them now..."

Alice and I looked at Rose with matching confused frowns.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Haven't you noticed Jess isn't drinking? Usually she loves a drink and I can't remember how many times she has had too much."

"Oh," Alice said and pressed her fingers against her smile. "That's so amazing."

Rose rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

I noticed Alice had tears in her eyes. "Are you and Jasper trying?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I have a ten year plan to complete before we have babies."

I laughed. "So just practice for now."

She giggled and nodded. "Exactly."

"Bella, your friends are on the move," Rose said quietly.

We all watched as Tanya and Irina walked slowly across to the bar, passing close by the table Edward was still at. He didn't even notice and his eyes never left Emmett who looked like he was impersonating a ninja. I let myself smile a little, despite my nervous anticipation of what would happen next.

"Fail," Rose muttered as she sipped her cocktail.

It wasn't long until Tanya and Irina tried again. This time they were more bold and stopped at the edge of the group. They struck up a conversation with Seth, who was welcome to them being a single, young man.

It took them half an hour to make their way to the centre of the group where Edward was. I was completely sober by the time they said their first word to him.

"What is she doing?" I asked.

Rose chuckled. "Oldest trick in the book. She's showing him her necklace... Draws attention to her boobs... The smaller the pendant, the better."

I crossed my arms over my own chest in an attempt to hold myself back. Edward was looking at her necklace but I had to trust he was just being polite.

Then he turned to Emmett and drew him into the conversation about the necklace. I relaxed slightly and watched as Edward turned away to talk to Ben.

Tanya seemed unable to get Edward's attention back and wasn't interested in talking to Emmett at all.

Rose huffed beside me. "Stupid blind skank. Can't she see how sexy Emmett is... Not that I want her going after him. I don't have your self control, Bella. Both those whores would be walking out of here bald if they tried to hit on Emmett."

I laughed and shrugged. Just because I wasn't flying across the room to scalp them, didn't mean I wasn't imagining it and planning my moves in my mind.

"Ugh," Alice said a few minutes later. "She bumped into him on purpose."

I sighed. "Yes she did."

Edward had turned around to check Tanya was okay. He didn't know that she had pretended to stumble in her heels so she could press herself against his back. He put his hand out towards her but deliberately didn't touch her as he looked down at her with a concerned look on his face. She put her hand on his forearm and turned to lift her foot up to her butt. They both looked down at her heels as she talked.

"Check out my legs," I said in a mocking tone. "See how long they are."

Rose snorted. "See how orange they are, more like."

I laughed and watched Tanya finally let go of Edward's arm. He immediately moved away to join a conversation at another table. Tanya looked very disappointed and I was grinning happily at her continued failure.

Tanya and Irina were back at the bar ordering drinks. Neither of them looked very happy now but Tanya straightened her shoulders. She seemed to be determined and more than a little bit embarrassingly desperate.

She suddenly stepped backwards. Edward was walking past and she had put herself in his path, not giving him a chance to stop or avoid her. She cried out as she fell to the floor and he crouched down to help her. They spoke for a minute before he scooped her up in his arms. She pointed to a couch in a quiet corner and he carried her there. Then he went to the bar to get her ice in a towel.

I watched all of this with a heavy weight of doubt in my stomach. She was clever and he was too innocent to know what was happening.

"Rose? Alice?" I said, my voice breaking slightly.

"Just wait..." Alice said slowly and Rose nodded.

Edward was holding the towel against Tanya's ankle and talking to her as he stood above her. She was looking up at him and running her fingers across her cleavage. He shook his head when she tried to get him to sit down. Instead, he gave her the towel and went to talk to the Eagles' doctor who was drinking at the bar.

The doctor followed Edward across the room and looked at the injured ankle. He talked to Tanya while he worked and she didn't look too happy about it.

Then Edward took out his cell phone and made a quick call. The doctor helped Tanya stand up and she hobbled out of the bar with him. Edward followed behind them.

"Go," Rose hissed.

I stood up and strode across the room and out the doors. I paused before stepping outside and saw the doctor helping Tanya sit on the edge of a raised flower bed.

"Edward," I called. All three of them turned to look at me and Edward smiled sweetly. I went up to him and he put his arms around me. I clung to his waist and let out a happy sigh as I felt myself fully relax.

He hummed and kissed the top of my head. "Hey, sweetie. Are you okay?"

I smiled up at him and nodded. "I am now, thank you."

He knew I meant I was always okay as long as I was with him. He leaned down to kiss me gently on the lips. "Are you ready for bed?"

I bit my lip as I looked into his darkening eyes. "Only if you want to..."

He hummed and squeezed my butt. "Yes, please."

I giggled and nodded.

He let me go and turned to the doctor. "You got this?"

The doctor nodded. "I got this."

The two men bumped fists and I looked at Tanya. She was staring at Edward and I with an open mouth.

I smiled sweetly down at her. "Nice seeing you again, Tanya. I hope your ankle gets better soon."

She snapped her mouth shut and frowned. "Thanks," she muttered.

I took Edward's outstretched hand and walked inside with him, forgetting about Tanya the instant the doors closed behind us and Edward swung me up into his arms.


	34. Chapter 34

The flight home was long and boring. We listened to Edward's music and took turns sleeping with our head in the other's lap. He seemed tired and distracted and there were several long stretches of thoughtful silence.

We landed in Seattle and Dad was there to pick us up.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said as I hugged him.

"Hi, Dad. It's good to be home."

Dad shook Edward's hand. "I watched the games. Well done."

"Thanks, Charlie."

We went home and I couldn't stop yawning.

"Go to bed, Bella," Dad said gently after we had eaten a quick dinner.

I hummed and left the room. My bed was just as soft as I remembered but I couldn't get comfortable without Edward next to me. I lay awake thinking about the last four weeks. It had been an amazing experience that I probably wouldn't have had without Edward and our friends. I was grateful to Edward and USA Rugby for giving me such great opportunities.

But we were home now and I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Edward said when he eventually came to bed.

I sighed. "Too much to think about. My brain won't shut up."

He chuckled and pulled me back against his chest.

I hummed happily, finally comfortable enough to ignore my thoughts and fall asleep.

Edward woke me up with a kiss late the next morning.

I rolled over to face him and stretched. "Hey."

"Good morning, sweetie. You're so beautiful in the morning."

I laughed and rubbed my face, not feeling beautiful at all. "Thanks."

He cradled me in his arms for a while, not speaking, just relaxing together. Then he cleared his throat as if he was going to say something. I waited but nothing came.

"What are you thinking?" I asked and propped myself up to look down at him.

He reached up to push my hair back over my shoulder. He was stalling. "I want to ask you something but I don't know how to do it."

"Just say it." I was trying not to be worried.

Edward bit his lip. "Will you live with me? I want you to move to Portland so we can be together."

"Okay," I said with a smile.

His look of surprise made me giggle. "Okay? Is that a yes?"

I giggled again and nodded. "Why are you surprised? Of course I want to move in with you."

He let out a sigh of relief before chuckling. "I thought I would have to bargain to convince you. Like, getting rid of Emmett. Or moving closer to Seattle."

"Nope," I said with a grin. "You can keep Emmett and Portland isn't that far away."

He pulled me down into a hard kiss.

I stroked a finger across his bottom lip when I pulled away. "The only thing I needed from you to convince me is love."

"And you have that."

I hummed happily and leaned in to kiss him.

Edward had two weeks holiday from all rugby activities so we took our time packing my things and taking them to Portland. He had a lot of fun going through everything and asking questions.

"Are we taking these?" He asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

I turned around to see him holding a stack of autograph books. "Yes," I said. I had taken down all my sports posters years ago but I was still a fan. Those autograph books were the only memorabilia I had left.

He put them into the box at his feet.

I hummed as I opened my underwear drawer. "I don't know if I will take any of this."

He came over to look. "What? Why?"

I laughed at his disappointed expression. "Just joking. Would you like to pack it all for me?"

He nodded enthusiastically as if I was asking a child if he wanted to go to Disneyland. "Yes, please."

I went over to finish packing books and left him to inspect my underwear as he packed one piece at a time into a bag. It took him a long time to go through everything and get to the bottom of the drawer.

"What is this?" He asked.

I was lying on the bed with my eyes closed but I looked over at him. He was holding up my vibrator and I giggled. "Nothing..."

He raised his eyebrows. "I know what it is."

"Why did you ask then?" I laughed.

He stalked over to me and climbed up my body. His hips pressed down against mine as he held his torso above me. I could feel his erection behind his fly.

"What is that?" I echoed with a smirk and looked down as if I could see.

He hummed and flexed his hips, rubbing the hard length against me. "Nothing."

I laughed and lifted my legs to wrap them around his waist.

"How often do you use it?" He asked in a rough voice.

I hummed and flexed my hips. "We haven't had sex since our last night in England. So not for about twenty hours."

He shook his head. "I know that. When was the last time you used the vibrator?"

I bit my lip. "Not for a long time. Before we met."

He smiled, pleased with my answer. "Good. I hope you never need it again."

"I won't need it... But we might still use it..."

He frowned down at it and I could see he was wondering which part was for him.

"This end goes on my clit," I said and pointed to the end with the buttons. "This end goes inside me. Then you can fuck me too. It's made to be used by couples as well as alone."

His dilated eyes were still looking at it. "Have you ever..."

I shook my head. "Only alone."

He hummed and looked back at my face. I pulled him down for a kiss and he immediately deepened it, opening his mouth and licking my lips and teeth. My arms tightened around his neck and I pressed my chest against his. One of his hands went down to my hip and pushed under my skirt to grope my butt.

"Fuck," he said when he pulled away from my mouth. "I want you. I want to be inside you with this thing."

I hummed. "Okay."

He moaned and sucked my neck. "Shit, I love you. You agree with everything I say."

"Yes I have, but don't push your luck..."

He chuckled and pulled at the neck of my shirt. "I'm good at pushing..."

"I'm not a scrum," I said.

He put his lips onto my nipple and sucked hard before letting it pop out of his mouth. "Rugby references... You're amazing."

I wound my fingers into his hair. "What were you meaning by pushing?"

He chuckled and licked my hard nipple. "Just that I can't get enough of you and I'm probably going to push for more until I'm satisfied."

His sexy words made me shiver with lust. "Go for it..."

He moved down my body and started tugging at my panties. I lifted my hips to help. Then he reached for the vibrator and handed it to me.

"Show me..."

I took it from him, propped myself up on my pillows and switched it on. He watched intently as I slid the two ends through my folds to lubricate them. I bit my lip as I pressed it against my clit and felt the vibrations deep inside me. Then I pressed one end against my opening and let it slip slowly inside.

I moaned as the vibrator held its curved shape and cupped my centre, resting just where I needed it. My hands gripped the sheet underneath me. "Oh yes..."

"Feel good, sweetie?" Edward asked quietly. He was kneeling between my legs, watching my centre closely.

I hummed and let out a deep breath. "Good but not as good as cock."

"May I?" He reached out to stroke the outside of my folds.

I nodded, happy for him to do whatever he wanted. Adding his touch to the vibrations was only going to make it better.

He rubbed along my centre a few times and I could feel how wet I was. Then he pressed the vibrator harder against my clit. I hummed and pushed my head back hard against the bed. He moved down and eased two fingers inside me.

"So wet. So warm," he muttered to himself as he pumped his fingers in and out of me.

"Fuck," I moaned. I wanted his cock inside me. Fingers were good but not enough.

But I didn't have enough focus to ask him. Then he pulled his fingers out of me to stroke my folds again. I hummed as my back arched. It was taking a long time. I always orgasmed faster when Edward was taking care of me.

I focussed on his touch, hoping it would help me finally get there. His fingers were moving down from my clit. They passed over my first entrance and went on to the next. He circled them around the tight hole, spreading the lubrication they had collected from my folds.

No one had ever gone this far with me. I bit my lip as I debated whether to stop him or not. But my heart was racing even faster and my breathing had sped up at the thought of us doing something taboo. So I didn't say anything. He pressed harder against the hole. There was resistance for a second before the tip of his finger slipped inside. I gasped at the new sensation.

"Okay?" He asked.

I nodded and moaned.

"You can tell me to stop..."

I shook my head. More was all I wanted. Trying something new with him.

He pumped the tip of his finger a few times, barely inside me but enough to make me moan and arch off the bed.

My body finally found my orgasm. I shuddered as my muscles tightened rhythmically and I sighed as I released. He pulled my vibrator away and replaced it with his hand so my centre was sucking at his fingers.

Edward pulled my skirt down to cover me then pulled me into his arms when it was over. "You are so beautiful when you come."

I sighed happily and looked up at him. "Thanks for helping me come."

"My pleasure."

I giggled. "I'm pretty sure it was my pleasure."

He kissed my forehead. "Did you like..."

"Yes." My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Is that wrong?"

He chuckled and stroked my cheek. "Not at all. From what I've heard, it can feel really good. So why would that be wrong?"

I hummed. Doing things that felt good was the best way to live life. "Next time we use the vibe, I want your cock inside me too."

"Yes, please," he said in a rough voice. "I got a little jealous..."

I giggled. "I come faster when you're inside me."

He was grinning proudly and leaned in to kiss me. I didn't think he felt jealous anymore.

After lying together for a while, we got up and finished packing. It was my last night living at home. I never wanted to leave home. Finding a job in another city and leaving Dad and my family was always going to be a hard decision.

But now I couldn't wait. I was excited about living with Edward, spending all my free time with him, and beginning our lives together.


	35. Chapter 35

"Hi, Bella. Welcome to Portland Central School. I'm John."

"Nice to meet you," I said as I shook his hand.

He introduced me to the other people sitting around the conference room table: head teachers, board members and a couple of parents.

"Thank you for coming in today," John said as I sat in the chair opposite everyone.

I smiled and tried to relax. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I'm grateful you are considering me for the job."

I glanced around and saw several nods and smiles, acknowledging my words.

"Why don't we start off with a little background, Bella. Tell us briefly about yourself."

I nodded and took a breath. "I'm from Seattle originally. My Dad and the rest of my extended family are still there. I studied English for my Batchelor of Arts before I got my graduate diploma of education. Since then I have been a substitute teacher at various schools in Seattle."

One of the women in the front row leaned forward. "Why did you move to Portland?"

"My boyfriend lives here. I moved to be with him almost a year ago." My cheeks were hot with embarrassment. I sounded like a love-sick teenager. But I quickly shook it off. It was a legitimate reason for moving cities. It hadn't been a rash decision.

John flicked through my curriculum vitae to read my personal details page. "He is... Edward Cullen."

I nodded and tensed, wondering if any of them would recognise the name and know Edward. But there was no reaction and I let out a breath.

"Tell us about your interests, Bella."

I started off telling them about my love of sport. They had several questions about how I could use this interest to benefit the school. I had done some research and knew what sports teams the school already had so made sure I focussed on other sports. There were several nods of approval around the room and I smiled. I knew schools liked teachers who were willing to do extra curricular activities like organising a sports team.

Next I talked about my love of travelling and the adventures I had in Europe during the Rugby World Cup. Then I told them all the places across the rest of the world Edward and I had visited since, some for rugby games and some for fun. As expected, I got more reaction to the places I had been rather than the descriptions of the Rugby games.

"You're very well traveled," a man at the end of the table said with a smile. "What a great experience."

I nodded. "It really was. I've had a great year."

The next questions were about teaching and were the same ones I had encountered in other interviews. I answered everything easily and smiled warmly at everyone when I stood up to leave.

"Well done, Bella," John said as he walked me out of the school. "We have a few more interviews today but a decision should be made by tomorrow night. So we will call you soon."

I shook his hand again. "Thank you so much for the opportunity."

I drove home without the usual weight of dread in my stomach. The interview had gone well but if I didn't get the job it wouldn't matter. I was too happy to let one little negative bring me down.

"Hi, sweetie," Edward said when I walked inside. He was standing in the entrance but came tentatively towards me.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned against him.

"How did it go?"

I kissed his chest and looked up at him. "Really good."

His worried frown relaxed and I felt his body lose its tension. He smiled and leaned down to kiss me. "Good. I'm glad. Are you hungry?"

He had cooked dinner for us and we sat at the table to eat.

"How was your day?" I asked as he served me.

He sighed. "Long. I finished a couple of assignments this morning and we did a circuit at the gym this afternoon."

I hummed. "All that and cooking dinner..."

He leaned over to kiss me. "Of course. I look after my girl."

I grinned at him, grateful that he was so good to me. "Who did you workout with?"

"The whole Portland team was back today."

"It must have been good to see them all."

He chuckled and shook his head. "You'd think so... Most of them have done nothing but eat and sit around over the break. I've never heard so many complaints."

I laughed. Edward had divided his break between study and keeping fit. But I knew that was because he was dedicated and focussed on his rugby career. Most of the other Portland players weren't professional and had jobs to go to and lives to live away from rugby.

"Did anyone vomit?"

He rolled his eyes. "Almost. But we are starting off easy. In a couple of weeks everyone who wants to be considered for the Eagles team for the Americas Rugby Championship will need to be back to full fitness."

"When do the championship games start?"

"October. We play Argentina in Houston, Canada in Austin and Chile in Fort Lauderdale."

I nodded and looked down at my plate. "I would love to go with you..."

"But," he cut me off. "You really want this job and if you get it you won't be able to get time off."

I nodded. The school year starts at the end of September and there was no way I would be able to travel around the country less than a month into a new job.

"Don't worry about it. We can do what we used to do... Phone calls and texts."

I grinned at him. "You're thinking phone sex and sexts, aren't you?"

He returned my grin and nodded. "Yes I am. That will be so hot."

"Speaking of hot... I'm going to go to bed. Are you okay cleaning all this away?" I winked at him as I stood up.

His grin transformed into a smirk and his eyes became hooded with lust. "I will be there in five."

I nodded and swung my hips as I walked away.

In the bedroom I stripped off my interview dress and leggings. Underneath I was wearing a dark blue lace g-string and matching bra. I hesitated when I picked up my Portland Rugby jersey to toss it over the chair in the corner. Instead I pulled it on and lay across the bed.

Edward came in but I was facing away from the door so I pretended to ignore him. The bed shifted as he leaned onto it next to my legs. His fingertips brushed lightly from the back of my knee up the back of my thigh.

"You're so sexy," he whispered as he traced the curve of my butt.

I hummed and looked back over my shoulder at him. "Thanks."

He lifted the jersey to expose my butt and sucked in a breath. "Shit..."

There wasn't any more touching for a full minute as he froze with his eyes on my underwear. I watched him and hid my pleased smile against my shoulder.

"Where have you kept these? I haven't seen them since... Uruguay?"

I giggled and nodded. "This is my lucky underwear."

He raised an eyebrow. "Lucky?"

"Every time I wear them you have a good game. I was hoping it would work for me too."

He chuckled and ran a finger across the waistband elastic. "But we didn't win in Uruguay."

I shrugged. "I know but you still had a good game. Your tackle count was high and you had some awesome turnovers at breakdowns."

He smiled shyly and leaned down to kiss my lower back. "Thank you."

I hummed and rolled over. "Even if it doesn't work for my interview, I'm feeling like I'm about to get lucky."

He shrugged thoughtfully and pushed a knee between my legs. I spread my legs and wrapped them around him. He leaned forward above me, holding himself up with one arm, while his opposite hand stroked my cheek and brushed my hair back off my shoulder. "I'm really proud of you. You know that, right?"

I smiled up at him as my cheeks heated with happiness. "Thanks."

"I wanted you to know that, no matter what happens with this job." He leaned in to kiss the skin under my ear gently.

I hummed. "I do know..."

"You have been so strong and brave over the last year... Moving to Portland for me... Traveling with the team so we didn't have to be apart... Putting up with my crazy schedule and all the official engagements... Supporting me through it all and dragging me through it all when I got tired... All while putting your life on hold and being away from your family. I don't know how to thank you and I know I can't live without you."

I blinked back tears as I gazed up at his face. His words sunk deep into me and wrapped tight around my heart. I had to clear my throat and take a calming breath before I could respond. "It's been the best year of my life. Thank you for everything."

His mouth crashed against mine and I held him tight as we kissed. He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me up tight against his hard chest and abs. I responded by wrapping my legs around his hips and squeezing. My centre rubbed against his jeans and I pulled my mouth away from his to gasp for air.

"I love you so much," he whispered as he moved his face to my neck. He kissed just above my collar bone before muttering, "God, I love you." His teeth grazed my earlobe next and I shivered and pulled at his hair. "So fucking much," he whispered.

I pulled at his shirt. There were too many layers of clothing between us. He sat up as I pulled it over his head and he quickly undid his jeans. I helped him push them and his underwear down until he was naked above me.

Then everything slowed down. I took a few seconds to let my eyes drift over the familiar lines of his body. The hills and valleys of his abs, the smoothness of his pecs, the bulges of his upper arms, the tendons standing out in his neck, and the sharpness of his jaw. I brushed my fingers over the least familiar: the scar he had from recent shoulder surgery.

He kissed me again before helping me take off my jersey and underwear, carefully putting them aside for next time. His mouth went to my nipple and he licked and sucked while his hand groped my other breast. I hummed loudly and arched my back to press myself harder against him. He hummed in reply and let his teeth graze over my hardened flesh before switching sides.

"Edward..." I moaned, unable to voice my feelings or the need I felt for him.

But he knew without being told and his fingers went to my centre. He stroked the length of my folds slowly, spreading the moisture.

I let out a groan of frustration and need and reached down to guide his slick fingers to my clit. "Fuck," I said through gritted teeth as my legs shook.

"Let go, sweetie," Edward whispered. He had moved up from my chest and was now kissing my tense jaw.

I moaned loudly, trying to let him know I was close and to keep doing what he was doing. Then I held my breath, my lungs suddenly giving up on the panting, no longer needing the oxygen now that something better was coming. I felt the familiar floating feeling, like when you take the crest of a hill to fast and gravity lets you go for a second. Then my centre contracted and released rhythmically as I let out a blissful hum.

"That's it," Edward muttered as he drew it out with his fingers. "Come for me, sweetie."

I sighed and arched against him as the orgasm ended. My eyes opened and I smiled sleepily up at him. "That felt amazing."

He chuckled and kissed the corner of my mouth. "Good."

"Your turn," I said as I reached down between us.

His cock was hard and I wrapped my fist around it. I stroked the length slowly and watched as his smile faded to be replaced with an open mouth and dilated eyes.

"Good?" I whispered as I sped up my movement.

He closed his eyes and grunted happily as he put his forehead down on my shoulder. I kept stroking him in the space between us and reached down further with my other hand to cup his balls.

"Fuck," he moaned against my skin.

"Do you like that?" I asked as I pulled gently at his scrotum.

He nodded but didn't say anything.

I sped the stroking up and he reared up off me. His eyes were closed tight and I watched as his body tensed. He thrust his hips forward, pushing his cock through my fist one last time. It twitched and cum poured out, squirting over my belly and up my chest.

When it was over, he slumped forward onto his arms, his head hanging loosely above mine. He was panting heavily.

"Good?" I asked again.

He chuckled and managed to nod slightly. "Fucking amazing."

I laughed and he groaned as he fell sideways off me. His discarded shirt was beside the bed and I used it to clean my skin. He watched me with hooded eyes and with a slight smirk on his lips.

"You look good covered in my cum," he said as he pulled me against his side.

I giggled and snuggled in comfortably to sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

The next morning I woke up and saw Edward sitting next to me, frowning at his phone.

"Hey," I whispered.

He smiled down at me and stroked back my messy bed-hair. "Hey, sweetie. Sleep ok?"

I nodded. "What are you doing?"

His eyes went back to his phone and his frown returned. "I got my schedule for the next two weeks... How many nights are we staying in Seattle?"

"Three. My birthday party is on Saturday night. We are driving up on Friday and back on Monday."

He nodded. "Okay. I will miss an Eagles meeting..."

I sat up quickly. "No you can't."

He tossed the phone down the bed and pulled me into his arms. "It doesn't matter."

I pushed away slightly and looked up at his face. "Yes it does. It's the Eagles."

He chuckled. "It's more important that I'm at my girlfriend's birthday."

"But... It's the Eagles," I repeated, unable to explain properly that my birthday was nothing compared to our national rugby team.

"They will have to meet without me or reschedule."

He leaned in to kiss me and I sighed, happily giving up. That was a benefit of dating the national team's captain: I didn't have to come second to all his rugby stuff.

My phone started buzzing and I bit my lip as I picked it up. But it was just a text from Dad.

 **Have you got the job yet?**

 **No. I will ring you as soon as I hear.**

Edward hummed. "When do you think you will get a call?"

"Today," I said and sighed. "I'm so nervous."

He pulled me back into his arms. "I know. I can feel it. Hopefully it's sooner rather than later."

I chuckled. "I hope so too. Successful applicants are always contacted first."

"Maybe I can take your mind off it..." He leaned in to nuzzle my neck and suck gently on my skin.

The tension in my body increased but changed from nervousness to lust. His hand groped my butt, pulling me closer, and I let out an encouraging hum. Slowly, he pressed against me until I was lying on my back with him arched over me. He moved lower, kissing a path over my collar bones and down the opening of my rugby jersey. When he could go no further, I helped him pull the jersey up and over my head, leaving me naked beneath him. He took a second to look hungrily at my body and I bit my lip.

"I love when you look at me like that," I said as I ran my fingers through his hair.

He looked up at my face and smirked. "I love looking at your naked body." He leaned down to lick my nipple. "I wish I never gave you that damn jersey," he muttered.

I giggled then gasped as he gently bit me. "You used to like me in the jersey. Remember that picture I sent you? That got a good reaction." I stroked my finger over the head of his cock.

He groaned and buried his face between my boobs. "I reacted more to you talking about toys, although I definitely liked seeing you in my jersey."

I hummed. "No need for toys anymore. Soft... Or any others..."

He lifted his head to look up at me. "What happened to that vibe?"

"Underwear draw, I think." I shrugged.

He rose up to kiss me hard on the lips before getting off the bed. I watched his naked butt as he walked over to the drawers and dug through my underwear. He let out a noise of triumph as he pulled out the vibe and turned around to show me. I giggled at the sight: completely naked, heavily muscled and toned body, hard cock standing to attention, and excited expression as he turned the toy over in his hands.

Slowly he came back to me and lay beside me, still turning the vibe over in his hands. I watched, waiting to see what he wanted to do and feeling an excited anticipation curling in my stomach. The vibe was made for a man and a woman to use it together and I hadn't had the opportunity to try it before. I hoped that Edward would be willing.

"Show me how to use it?" He bit his lip as he looked at me shyly.

I nodded and took the vibe. It took me only a second to press the buttons and get it vibrating, then he took it back. He shifted down the bed and knelt between my knees. Slowly he inserted one end of the vibe inside me and pressed the other end against my clit.

I hummed and closed my eyes.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his voice husky with lust.

I hummed again and opened my eyes to watch him get into position. He held his cock steady with one hand and used the other to push my legs up. The sight of his length gripped tight in his large fist made my centre contract around the vibe.

"Now, Edward," I moaned. I was desperate for him to be inside me before I came.

"Fuck," he muttered as he pressed his head against my throbbing hole. "Fuck," he said again. "That feels..."

He didn't finish his statement but I knew what he wanted to say and hummed in agreement.

It took what seemed like a long time for him to push his whole length inside me. When he was eventually fully buried inside me and we were finally pressed together, I smiled blissfully up at him.

He kissed my lips gently a few times between his panting.

"Move, honey. And try to relax."

He grunted but took my advice and pulled out slightly before rocking back against me. I arched against him. His cock was pressing the vibe against something I had never been able to reach alone. I was on a ridge between pleasure and pain, windmilling my imaginary arms to keep my balance and keep from falling too soon.

Edward had found a rhythm and was thrusting into me. His face was suspended just above mine and I focussed on his frown lines as I gripped onto his shoulders. I could feel my climax building, coming to push me over to slide into ecstasy.

Then I couldn't hold on any longer. My whole body tensed. I knew my fingers were digging into his skin but I couldn't stop myself. I tilted my head back and my mouth opened with a moan. My body felt like it floated off the bed and I couldn't feel anything but the vibrations and Edward's cock inside me.

The sound I was making was cut off suddenly as I stopped breathing. My lungs may have stopped but my heart was racing and my centre pulsed in time with the beating. All feeling and awareness rushed back to me as I came and twitched.

"Yes, sweetie," Edward whispered against my neck. He was barely moving now, just rocking against me as my centre milked his cock. "Fuck..."

He stilled and pressed hard against me as his cock twitched. After coming for a couple of seconds he relaxed slightly and let out a deep moan of enjoyment.

I reached down and quickly pressed the buttons to turn off the vibe. The vibrations stopped and we both let out a sigh of relief.

"Nice," Edward said after a couple of minutes cooling down.

I hummed. "Yeah. Good."

He chuckled. "Too much?"

"Too intense," I said with a nod.

He rolled off me and pulled me into his arms. "Just stick to the two of us from now on?"

"You're all I need..."

He kissed my forehead and gave me a squeeze. "Same here."

We lay together in thoughtful silence for several minutes. I started to wonder how my birthday weekend was going to go. I knew Aunt Renee and Ezme were planning it all and that made me nervous. Their parties could be wild. I was turning 23 so it wasn't a milestone number that needed a big occasion to celebrate it. But Edward and I had been away a lot over the last year and I knew our families missed us. Would that be incentive enough for them to put on a birthday extravaganza?

All I wanted was a quiet, relaxed, family dinner with everyone I loved, maybe a few drinks, probably a whole lot of questions about our adventures, and definitely intense planning of our future.

Before my imagination ran away on me, I shifted to look up at Edward. "Do you know what they're planning for my party?"

He smiled and kissed my forehead reassuringly. "Nothing crazy. Just the family and a few friends. Everyone else will be taking food and drinks to share. We just have to turn up."

I nodded but bit my lip nervously.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I gave them strict instructions."

I sighed and nodded. He knew what I wanted and I needed to have faith that Aunt Renee and his mother would follow his instructions.

My phone rang and gave me a fright. I picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. The worry about my birthday had totally consumed my every thought and it took me several seconds to remember I had been waiting for a call.

I took a deep breath and glanced at Edward. He must have seen how I was suddenly sick with nerves because he put his hand on my knee and squeezed soothingly.

"Hello, Bella Swan speaking."

"Bella, hi. This is John from Portland Central."

"Hi, John. How are you?" I closed my eyes to calm myself as the small talk automatically flowed out of my mouth.

"Great thanks. I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

"No. No, of course not. I've been waiting for your call."

He chuckled quietly and I felt myself relax.

"Good. Let's get to it then. I'm very happy to tell you that you have been successful. I would like to offer you the job."

My eyes snapped open and I stared at Edward in shock. My free hand found his and I squeezed hard. "You... What... Thank you!"

John chuckled again. "We were all very impressed with your CV and your travelling and we all agreed that you would be a good fit on our team."

"Wow. Thank you so much."

"Do you need some time to..."

"No. I want the job. Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with all of you."

"Excellent. Drop into school in the next couple of days so we can do some paperwork and get you set up ready to go."

I blinked rapidly as tears started rolling down my cheeks. "I will. Thank you."

"You're very welcome. See you soon, Bella."

I ended the call and immediately burst into loud, ugly tears.

Edward was grinning and pulled me into his arms. "Congratulations, Bella. You deserve this."

I laughed and sniffed loudly. "I'm so happy."

"Me too," he said before kissing me despite the mess I was making.


	37. Chapter 37

On Friday, after meeting my new colleagues and exploring my new school, Edward and I drove to Seattle. I was still nervous about my party, which was now also a celebration of my employment, but nothing could kill my new-job buzz.

Dad rushed out to hug me as soon as we pulled up outside the house. "Congratulations, Bella. I'm so proud of you."

I laughed and squeezed him back. "Thanks, Dad."

The following evening we all drove to Ezme and Carlisle's house. Being bigger than everyone else's, Ezme offered the house as a more comfortable and spacious venue. Outside, I saw all the familiar cars which belonged to my extended family, as well as Jasper's and Rose's cars.

"Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett came," I said with a smile.

Edward nodded and took my hand. "Of course they did. They wouldn't miss it."

"They've heard the stories about Aunt Renee's parties, haven't they?"

He laughed. "Yes. Emmett said he's hoping for stripers but Rose smacked him when he said it so I don't know now."

"There better not be stripers... Although some topless male waiters wouldn't be unwelcome..."

Edward stopped suddenly and spun me back against his chest. "Really? Topless male waiters?"

I giggled and nodded. "Just for some eye candy."

He leaned in to kiss under my ear. "I thought you wanted a quiet night with family and friends? You might be disappointed if you're expecting topless waiters."

"Maybe I'm a little more excited now than I was... But I'm only joking about the waiters. The only body I'm attracted to needs to stay in this shirt." I tugged on his collar and smiled up at him.

"How about I take it off and bring you a drink when we get home?"

"Deal," I said with a laugh.

He leaned in to place a lingering kiss on my lips before loosening his hold on me. "We should go in..."

Edward led me into his parents living room where the majority of the guests were sitting around talking and drinking. Aunt Renee and Ezme jumped up as soon as we entered and rushed over.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Aunt Renee said as she hugged me tight.

Then Ezme gave me a hug too. "Happy birthday, Bella. And congratulations on your new job."

I smiled and thanked them both before moving onto the next group of people for hugs and birthday wishes.

A group of aunts and uncles were sitting on one side of the room. I hugged each of them and thanked them for coming before introducing Edward. This was the first time Edward was meeting most of them for several years but everyone remembered him or at least knew that he was Ezme's son.

"How's the rugby going?" One of my uncles asked.

"Very well, thank you," Edward replied as he shook hands. "We are working towards the Americas Rugby Championship now."

"Oh, what country are you off to for that?"

"We have two games in Texas, one in Florida, then we are going to Brazil and Uruguay."

There were lots of surprised and envious noises from the people around us.

"Bella, are you going with the team? We see all your photos on Facebook of all the wonderful places you two go."

I shook my head. "No, unfortunately. I will have just started my new job."

There were murmurs of pity and sympathy and I smiled to hide my own self-pity.

Next, Edward and I crossed the room to say hello to the next group, made up of my cousins. "Hi everyone," I said as I stood at the edge of the group. "Thanks for coming to the party."

I wasn't expecting hugs from any of them but Sophie stood up and wrapped her arms around me. I patted her back awkwardly.

"You're Edward," she said as she let me go.

"Yes," I said quickly. "This is my boyfriend, Edward. Edward, these are my cousins."

"Nice to meet you all," Edward said with a friendly wave. "I would ask all your names but I know I will never remember them all."

Most of my cousins laughed and nodded in agreement.

My cousin, Hayley, pulled me a few steps away to talk. "Congratulations on your new job, Bella," she said.

Sophie had laughed the loudest at Edward's joke and had put her hand on his arm as I moved away. "Aunt Renee told me you used to come to her parties all the time. I think I remember you. Did you play basketball with my brother?"

I positioned myself so I could watch Sophie while I talked to Hayley. "Thanks. I'm so excited to start."

Edward took a step back but Sophie moved with him. "Uh... Yes. I remember playing basketball at one of the parties. Is your brother here?"

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, he's around here somewhere.

"I'm at St Stevens now," Hayley continued, unaware I was barely paying any attention to her. "I'm head of the junior classes there."

Sophie was not about to let Edward get away from her to talk to her brother. "You were really good. Why didn't you keep playing?"

Edward laughed uncomfortably. "I wasn't good, and I eventually chose rugby."

"I know," Sophie said as her eyes wandered over his chest.

I tried to focus on Hayley. "That's great. I bet it's a challenge. That's a big school."

Hayley nodded. "It is but I love it. Maybe we could set up something between our classes?"

Sophie's eyes eventually stopped assessing my boyfriend's body but she had stepped closer. "Rugby's a brutal sport," she said. "I bet you get injured a lot."

He nodded and twisted his arm out of her grip to point to his shoulder. "I had surgery on my shoulder a couple of months ago."

I was glad he managed to stop her touching him so I turned back to Hayley. "How about a letter writing activity? I'm thinking about doing some quick warm-up activities at the start of each lesson. Once a week, it could be write a letter to their pen pal."

Hayley nodded. "I would love that. We could match our students up in pairs and they have to get to know each other through letters."

I nodded. "Yes. I will send you an email next week and we will organise it."

I had just started to relax into the conversation, but then I saw Sophie reach up to touch Edward's cheek. "You have a scar there too," she said.

"One of many," Edward said and turned away to find me. He looked desperate for me to save him.

I smiled at him and nodded my understanding. "We better move on. Lots of people to talk to." I stepped over to Edward's side and took his hand. "Nice to see you all. Hayley, talk to you soon."

Then we turned away and moved into the library. I introduced Edward to everyone quickly, desperate to get it over and done with so we could relax.

Next was the kitchen and another group of cousins. I introduced Edward as I had before but this time he kept hold of my hand and stood slightly behind me for protection.

Sophie's brother, Stan, stood up to shake Edward's other hand. "I don't know if you remember playing basketball..."

"Yes, I do," Edward said. "It was always nice to be part of your group. I come from a small family."

Stan laughed. "It was nice to have someone other than my cousins to beat. I saw on Bella's Facebook page you play rugby."

"Yes. For the Portland Barbarians and the Eagles."

Stan whistled. "Professional?"

Edward nodded. "Yes. One of the few in this country."

"I bet Charlie is proud Bella scored a sports star." Stan winked at me and laughed when I pretended to elbow him. "Those two are obsessed."

Edward smiled at me. "That's one of the reasons I love her."

I returned his smile before turning to glare at Stan. "Don't make us sound like some stupid sports groupies. We love sport, not chasing the players just because they're famous."

"Well that's definitely not the case with me," Edward said with a laugh.

Stan laughed too and patted Edward's shoulder. "Good luck with the career and let me know if you want to play some basketball. I would love to be able to say I bet the captain of a national team."

Edward laughed and nodded before we moved away.

Finally we made it out the back door into the garden and found Dad, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett sitting around a box of ice and beer bottles.

I gave Dad a quick hug before collapsing into the lawn chair beside him and accepting a bottle from Alice.

"Such a big family," I said with a sigh after taking a sip.

Dad chuckled. "They must have missed Renee's big shindigs. Her quiet birthday was a shock to us all."

"Where's the entertainment?" Emmett asked.

I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he was brave enough to bring up stripers again.

"Is our family not entertaining enough, Emmett. Do you want more than good conversation?" Dad asked.

I giggled but Rose was the one to speak up, "He wants strippers, Charlie."

Emmett choked on his beer and Jasper thumped him hard on his back. Dad glared at Emmett as the rest of us waited to see what would happen.

"Stripers?" Dad asked with his eyes burning Emmett. "Do you enjoy demoralising young women and ogling them with your friends? Are women expected to remove their clothing for your entertainment?"

Emmett had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. "No, sir. I was just joking, sir. Sorry, sir."

Dad nodded, satisfied that Emmett was thoroughly reprimanded, and turned to Rose. "You let me know if you ever have trouble with this one. I have handcuffs and a cell with his name on them."

Rose grinned at Dad. "Thank you, Charlie. I'm pretty sure I can handle him myself though."

Other conversations started up around the circle and everyone moved on. Except for Emmett who hardly spoke for fear of Dad's wrath.

It wasn't long before we were all called inside to get food. Two large tables were covered in dishes and everyone was crowding around to get some.

"Hi, Edward. I got you a plate." Sophie had sidled up to us as we waited.

"Thank you," Edward said politely.

I rolled my eyes and made a face at Alice and Rose. They both sized Sophie up and Rose made a cut-throat gesture. I giggled and led Edward away to the other table.

Unfortunately Sophie followed and struck up a conversation as we filled our plates. "Do you remember Aunt Renee's P party?"

Edward hummed noncommittally.

"You were Peter Pan."

"You have a good memory," Edward replied in a flat voice, trying not to encourage her.

Sophie laughed loudly. "I just remember you. Do you remember me?"

"No. Were you a princess like Bella?"

"No," Sophie said as if that was ridiculous. "All the young kids were princesses. I was a punk rocker."

I rolled my eyes again and bit my tongue. Sophie was only a couple of years older, the same age as Edward. It was ridiculous that she was trying to make herself seem more mature and more appealing that way.


	38. Chapter 38 the end

I rolled my eyes again and bit my tongue. Sophie was only a couple of years older, the same age as Edward. It was ridiculous that she was trying to make herself seem more mature and more appealing that way.

Edward made a noncommittal noise and shrugged.

"I had an awesome wig on," Sophie continued. "It was purple and black."

"Sorry," Edward said. "All I remember was a big group of princesses."

Sophie sighed. "I guess I'm not surprised. So unoriginal and boring. And there were so many of them."

Edward hummed and we turned away from the table to find somewhere to sit. I led the way and glanced back to see Sophie following us. No one heard the curse I muttered as I desperately looked for an escape. Then I happened to walk past Sophie's parents and they called her over. Edward and I slipped out of the room and quickly up the stairs without being followed.

"In here," Edward said as we passed a door. "My old room."

We went in and shut the door. I let out a sigh of relief and Edward laughed.

"Sorry about Sophie," I said as we settled ourselves on the bed.

Edward chuckled. "She's..." He couldn't finish his sentence without saying something mean so stopped.

But I filled in the blank for him. "A clingy slut who is going to meet my fist if she keeps it up."

Edward put his plate aside and moved mine so he could pull me into his arms. "Don't worry about it."

I hummed happily and wrapped my arms around him. "Do you really not remember her? She seemed adamant that you should."

He didn't say anything and I leaned back to see his face. His frown and far away look in his eyes told me the answer.

"You do! What happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably and stroked my hair. "Promise you won't punch her?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I will make no such promise. Tell me."

"She tried to kiss me." Edward was holding my hands as if he was ready to stop me leaving to hunt down my cousin.

"Tried?" I wasn't angry or plotting murder. It was a long time ago. Ancient history.

He chuckled. "Yeah. Tried. I was hanging out with Stan and some of the others outside. She had talked to me a couple of times earlier in the night and asked if she could show me something. I went with her and we talked some more. Then she just lunged at me. I pushed her away and told her I had a girlfriend then hid from her for the rest of the night."

I laughed. "Poor Sophie. I can't believe she is still trying it on. Any normal person would be embarrassed after that."

He hummed and pulled me into his lap. "I should say I'm sorry. You're having to suffer for a mistake I made years ago."

I framed his face with my hands. "It's okay. She's just annoying me a little. All I have to do is remember that I'm the only one who gets to do this..."

I leaned in to kiss him. He sighed happily and licked his way into my mouth. We kissed until we heard voices in the hallway and we parted before we were discovered and told off for groping.

After everyone ate, Aunt Renee and Ezme gathered everyone into the living room and announced there were presents to open. I protested, saying I didn't need any presents, as she sat me down on a chair in the middle of the room.

"Shut it, Bella. It's your birthday so you can't tell anyone what to do or not to do."

I was going to argue but she shoved a box into my hands and kissed my cheek.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she said.

"Thank you, Aunt Renee," I said and smiled up at her.

I ripped off the sparkly wrapping paper and opened the small, square jewellery box. Inside were two small gold stud earrings with clear stones set in them.

"Wow," I breathed. "Are these..."

"Diamonds," Aunt Renee said with a pleased nod.

"Wow," I said again. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

Next, Ezme handed me another present. "This is from Carlisle and me. Happy birthday."

"Thank you," I said to her and smiled at Carlisle who was standing in the corner videoing everything on his phone.

I opened the box and gasped at the bracelet. "This matches the earrings."

Ezme nodded, pleased that I noticed.

"Thank you so much."

"Happy birthday, Bella," Dad said as he handed me another gift.

I stood up to hug him before taking it and thanking him. Inside this box was a gold necklace with a gold and diamond heart-shaped pendant.

I laughed and wiped a happy tear from the corner of my eye. "It all matches. Thank you, Dad"

He nodded and helped me put it around my neck before stepped back to stand with Carlisle.

Next, Edward stood up beside me and handed me a small parcel. "Happy birthday, sweetie," he murmured.

I smiled up at him and whispered, "thank you."

Inside the paper was a book with 'autographs' embossed on the cover.

"It's beautiful," I said as I smiled up at him.

"Open it," he said.

I did as I was told and gasped as I read the handwriting on the first page.

"Should I read it out?" There were nods around the room and Edward smiled and nodded when I looked up at him. "'To the most amazing person I've ever met. I am so lucky to have you in my life. Everything I do is better because I get to share it with you. Happy birthday, sweetie. Love from Edward.' His full signature, not just the initials he usually signed autographs with, was scrawled across the bottom of the page.

I took a calming breath and turned to the next page. "'Happy birthday, Bella. I'm really glad Edward met you and let you be my wifey. Emmett.'"

I laughed and glanced at Emmett across the room. He was grinning at me and looking pleased at the reaction.

Under his scrawl was a much neater hand. "'Don't pay any attention to that idiot. You are an amazing woman and a great friend. I know you will have a wonderful birthday. XOX Rose.'"

The next page was covered in tiny handwriting. "'Bella. On your special day, I want you to know how much you are loved and cherished. Over the last year we have become the best of friends and I love you like a sister. You are everything a friend should be; loyal, loving, fun, trustworthy, honest, supportive, and above all, you are dedicated to the lucky people you surround yourself with. I hope all your wishes and dreams come true because you deserve the world. May beauty and happiness always surround you, not just on this happy day, but always. You are always in my prayers and I wish the best for you on your birthday and for the rest of your days. With all my love, Alice.'"

I wiped away a tear as I turned the page.

"'Edward is a lucky man. Happy birthday. Cheers. Jasper.'" I laughed and looked at Jasper who was blushing. "Short and sweet, thanks Jasper."

He nodded.

I turned the page not expecting anymore messages and was surprised to see one from coach. "'Happy birthday, Bella. Have a great day. Coach.'"

The next message was from Mike and Jess. Then there was one from Kate and Garrett, then Victoria and James. After that there were short 'happy birthday' messages and autographs from the rest of the team who didn't know me so well. I raced through them, only pausing on names I couldn't read.

I looked up at Edward. "The whole team signed it?"

He nodded.

I laughed. "When?"

"It was in Coach's room for the whole World Cup. I asked everyone to go in and write a message for you."

I was still turning pages but had stopped reading the generic messages.

The last page, however, was different and I paused to read it. I was vaguely aware that Edward had kneeled down beside me as I read.

'Bella Swan, my love, my everything. Will you marry me?'

I pressed my hand to my mouth as tears overflowed and washed down my cheeks. Slowly I turned to see Edward down on one knee, a ring box in his hand. He opened the lid and showed me the gold band with a large diamond set on it.

I didn't know what to do. I had no words. I just sat there, trying not to pass out, staring at the man I loved, in silence.

Edward cleared his throat. "Bella, will you marry...?" His voice was just a whisper and he looked worried.

I nodded quickly, cutting him off and instantly reassuring him. I had found the word I needed. "Yes."

He launched himself up off the floor and pulled me into his arms. I clung to him and clutched his shirt in my fists.

He let out a choked chuckle. "Thank you," he whispered into my ear.

I bit my lip and took a shuddering breath. "I love you."

He pulled back and pressed his lips to mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, worried that if I opened them I would find I was just dreaming. But then I opened them and looked at my fiancé. He was staring back at me and his fingers stroked across my cheek. We were both grinning and my happiness overflowed in a laugh.

"Can I put my ring on your finger?" He asked.

I nodded and tried to stop laughing but couldn't until he pushed the ring onto my finger. Then the tears returned as I stared at the beautiful, sparkling stone.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

He smiled and kissed me. "I'm glad you like it. Alice and Rose helped me choose it."

That reminded me we weren't alone and I turned to look at the people around us. Everyone was smiling as they watched us. Jasper and Emmett had their phones out, taking pictures. Alice and Rose were standing between them and I mouthed thank you and blew them a kiss. They both smiled and nodded and Alice wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Aunt Renee and Ezme were holding hands. Both of them had streaks of tears and mascara across their faces. I smiled shyly at them and they came across the room.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Aunt Renee said as she hugged me.

I gave her a squeeze. "Thank you."

Ezme hugged me next. "We are very happy."

I bit my lip to hold back new tears. "Me too."

"Welcome to the family," Carlisle said as he leaned down to kiss my cheek before dragging Aunt Renee and Ezme away.

Dad was standing a few feet away watching us all. He rolled his eyes and chuckled at Aunt Renee's tear-stained face. But I could see his eyes were wet too.

I swallowed painfully as I went to hug him. "You're going to make me cry, Dad."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "Happy tears, I hope."

I nodded and sniffed.

"I'm proud of you, Bella."

I took a deep breath as I blinked fast. "Thanks, Dad."

He pulled back and held me at arms length with his hands on my shoulders. "Congratulations, Bella." He reached out to touch the necklace gently.

I suddenly realised the necklace he had given me, the earrings from Aunt Renee, and the bracelet from Ezme and Carlisle, matched my engagement ring.

"You knew he was going to ask me..."

Dad nodded. "Edward asked us permission not long after you moved to Portland."

"You and Aunt Renee?"

"Yes. He's a good man, Bella. I think you will have a good life with him."

Tears were pouring down my cheeks. Dad's words and the truth about Edward in them were overwhelming me with happiness.

Everything in my life was coming together perfectly. My dream job to look forward to. The most perfect man who I was going to marry. A future full of excitement and love to live.

THE END


End file.
